July 24, 2016

Did you know that white tuna sushi may not actually be made of white tuna? Escolar (occasionally called butterfish) is sometimes used as a substitute. Although delicious and much cheaper than the white tuna, the escolar is full of wax esters. Those esters cannot be digested by humans, and so end up acting like laxatives. Those who have eaten the fish reported symptoms such as cramping, nausea, and explosive diarrhea. That may be why Japan and Italy banned it.