Why Wild-Caught Salmon Contains Worms

Buzz Feed

09-05-2025

I had heard of the Costco Salmon Wormgate in 2023. I had seen the TikToks, read the horror stories, and smugly thought, Wow, that sucks for them. Worms in salmon? That was something that happened to other people…until it happened to me.
Like a responsible adult with good taste and an occasional desire to spend too much money on groceries, I walked into Whole Foods with a craving for something nice. Something fresh. Something wild-caught, organic, flown-in-from-Alaska-level fancy.
I picked out a gorgeous sockeye salmon fillet — deep red, practically glowing in the display case. The kind of salmon that screams quality, luxury. I grabbed a bottle of organic Albariño and fresh dill (sometimes you need to romanticize your own life), and then I headed home to prepare a meal I would most definitely be putting on my Instagram story for external validation and to show my situationship that I could cook. I digress.
I preheated the oven, poured myself a glass of wine, and seasoned my fillet. The salmon sat on the counter, basking in all its expensive, Whole Foods glory. And then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move.
At first, I thought my wine was hitting faster than expected. But I looked again. There it was. A tiny, white, squiggly thing. A little wiggly translucent line. No, wait — not just one. At least 10.
I threw the entire fillet away immediately. No hesitation. No second-guessing. My restaurant-worthy dinner plans? Ruined. My calculated Instagram story? Now nonexistent.
🐟 Turns out, this is totally normal?!
After taking a moment to scream internally and hop around the kitchen doing that awkward little disgusted dance, trying to shake the trauma off (you know exactly what I'm talking about), I did what any rational person would do — I Googled it and scrolled through Reddit. And that's when I learned the most horrifying fact of all: This is completely normal.
What I saw were likely Anisakis roundworms, a common parasite in wild-caught fish. Apparently, they're actually a sign that your salmon is wild, because in the ocean, fish have to deal with things. That's right. If your fish lived a full life, chances are it swam, it partied, and yes, it got worms.
Think of it as a marker of high-quality wild fish. A badge of honor, if you will (I will not).
According to a professor from the University of Illinois and various TikToks, these parasites are harmless as long as the salmon is cooked properly (to an internal temperature of at least 145°F) or frozen. And if you're looking for a bright side (why would you be?), you could even call it extra protein. All I could think of, though? That Animal Planet show Monsters Inside Me.
🐟 But I love sushi...
If you're into sushi, don't freak out just yet — sushi-grade fish is required to follow strict freezing protocols to kill parasites before serving:
— Frozen at -4°F for at least seven days.— Frozen at -31°F until solid, then stored at that temperature for 15 hours.— Frozen at -31°F until solid, then stored at -4°F for 24 hours.So yes, your favorite sushi place is handling this way better than I did. Still, it's not great to know that there is likely a chef whose entire job is to pick worms out of salmon with a tweezer.
🐟 You could always check the salmon for worms?
If the thought of discovering unwanted guests in your dinner makes your skin crawl (same), you could try some fish candling. Shine a bright light underneath the fillet to see any shadowy movements inside. If you find one, you can pick it out with tweezers before cooking. (If you have the emotional strength for that.)
🐟 Here's the catch...
Wild-caught salmon is often touted as the healthier choice because it's seen as more natural, having lived a free life away from the constraints of a farm. Plus, it's packed with those omega-3s that every wellness influencer raves about. It's practically a superfood, right? But, here's the catch (pun intended): wild-caught salmon can also come with some uninvited guests.
Farmed salmon, on the other hand, no worms, no parasites — sounds like a win, right? But here's the catch (okay, I'm done): farmed salmon doesn't have the same nutritional punch. With a higher ratio of omega-6 (the not-so-good fatty acid) to omega-3 and a lower-quality diet (processed food and fishmeal), the fish just doesn't have the same richness. It's like the salmon equivalent of a fast food meal.
And, spoiler alert, that beautiful pink-orange color? It's not natural. Farmed salmon is often grayish when it's born and then gets treated with synthetic dyes to look like its wild cousin. Farmed salmon also comes with its own ethical dilemma: crowded conditions that impact the fish's health and the quality of the meat. It's a more controlled environment, sure, but it's not exactly what nature intended.
At the end of the day, it's a choice: wild-caught might have the occasional worm, but, you know, it's 'better' for you. Farmed salmon? No worms, but you're sacrificing some of that quality for predictability. Choose your battle based on your values (and how much you can stomach). I know I won't boycott wild-caught salmon, but after seeing the extra protein, I can't help but feel exactly like this TikTok (audio on).
If we didn't scare you away from salmon forever, download the Tasty app to browse all of our favorite fishy recipes — no subscription (or worms) required.