What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate • Hacker News Board

Re: What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate

#41

Post by dpark » Sat, Jul 01, 2017, 10:57 PM UTC

askvictor wrote: post #40

dpark wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've eaten escolar multiple times with no ill effects. I certainly think restaurants should educate people about the fish but I don't see that it should be banned.

I can see the warning on the menu...

Then why ban escolar but not, say, oysters? Escolar might give you acute gastrointestinal discomfort if you eat too much or are particularly sensitive to it. Oysters might give you gastrointestinal stress that lasts for months if you get a bad one. It happened to me. The GI specialist said it was almost certainly an oyster that set off my months of dyspepsia. I don't think that means oysters should be banned just because I had a really bad experience.

Even with a warning, the side effects of escolar are so severe that literally no one should be able to choose to eat it?

Re: What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate

#42

Post by dpark » Sat, Jul 01, 2017, 10:58 PM UTC

kpil wrote: post #18

askvictor wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is no correct way to cook escolar aka butterfish aka olestrafish. It's banned for sale in some places, should be banned everywhere.

Theoretically, you can grill it, and hope that most wax esters will melt, but I wouldn't want to bet my underpants on that again. I'm told that it also develops histamines in a much higher rate than other fish so there is also a risk for a severe reaction in general.

I can't imagine that most of the fats would melt off without it ruining the fish anyway.

Re: What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate

#43

Post by askvictor » Mon, Jul 03, 2017, 10:35 AM UTC

dpark wrote: post #41

askvictor wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can see the warning on the menu...

Then why ban escolar but not, say, oysters? Escolar might give you acute gastrointestinal discomfort if you eat too much or are particularly sensitive to it. Oysters might give you gastrointestinal stress that lasts for months if you get a bad one. It happened to me. The GI specialist said it was almost certainly an oyster that set off my months of dyspepsia. I don't think that means oysters should be banned just bec…

You make good points, but if a warning is mandated, I don't imagine anyone actually selling it. It's not so much intestinal discomfort as unexpectedly crapping your pants due to the indigestible esters.

How do you think the restaurant/fish industry could phrase this in a way that anyone might actually buy it: 'warning: this fish may cause you to unexpectedly shit yourself'

Re: What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate

#44

Post by dpark » Mon, Jul 03, 2017, 1:39 PM UTC

askvictor wrote: post #43

dpark wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then why ban escolar but not, say, oysters? Escolar might give you acute gastrointestinal discomfort if you eat too much or are particularly sensitive to it. Oysters might give you gastrointestinal stress that lasts for months if you get a bad one. It happened to me. The GI specialist said it was almost certainly an oyster that set off my months of dyspepsia. I don't think that means oysters should be banned just bec…

You make good points, but if a warning is mandated, I don't imagine anyone actually selling it. It's not so much intestinal discomfort as unexpectedly crapping your pants due to the indigestible esters. How do you think the restaurant/fish industry could phrase this in a way that anyone might actually buy it: 'warning: this fish may cause you to unexpectedly shit yourself'

I misunderstood your sarcasm. I thought you were saying you've seen the warning on menus already.

I wonder how common uncontrollable diarrhea from escolar actually is. I don't know anyone who's suffered even minor ill effects, but "I shit myself" isn't something most people would share.

Re: What to Blame for Your Stomach Bug? Not Always the Last Thing You Ate

#45

Post by boyce » Mon, Jul 03, 2017, 2:25 PM UTC

icantdrive55 wrote: post #4

boyce wrote: post #3

As a restauranteur, I (very occasionally!) get calls from people accusing us of making them ill, threatening bad reviews and demanding vouchers or refunds. The majority of the time it's someone who tries the same scam on every restaurant. Fortunately, around here at least, independent restaurant owners and managers keep in contact with each other and keep a track of these things. I did hear about one scammer recently…

It's hard to prove. Meal is gone. Should I save my throw up? I have had 18 gauge wire in my buritto, but figured it was just an accident. I have worked in restaurants. Some are filthy. Some workers could care less about food handling, especially the restaurants that hire the cheapest help, which is most. It's pretty easy to pass a health inspection. Just keep the meat on the bottom shelf, and keep the coolers at the…

Obviously legislation isn't the same everywhere. Inspections are pretty serious audits here. Worked at a couple of restaurants that weren't too hot on hygiene when I started but customers aren't as stupid as some of them look.

As someone else commented, if something has been made or handled incorrectly, it won't be an isolated case. I'm sure I'm not exceptional in doing spot checks and lab tests as a precaution.