“This is why you need to freeze it first”: Costco customer thought she bought fresh salmon. Then she noticed it moving

A TikToker raised alarm after sharing that her freshly purchased salmon fillet was crawling with parasites. The video, posted by TikToker Megan (@megan_y), showed her pointing out moving worms in the fish after it had warmed slightly on the drive home. She said the discovery convinced her family to start a month-long parasite cleanse.

Parasites spotted in Costco salmon fillet

In her video, the TikToker explained she left the salmon sitting out overnight. She wanted to see how many worms would appear once the fish defrosted completely. Viewers saw her zoom in on squirming parasites along the grooves of the fillet. At one point, she counted so many that she admitted she could not keep track.

Moreover, she noted the fish had only been purchased the day before, which made the infestation even more disturbing. She eventually decided to throw the salmon away after the smell worsened.

Adding to her concern, she shared that her family had eaten salmon at her mother’s house the night before. After showing her mom the video, she claimed everyone in the household immediately began a parasite cleanse. She mentioned they used a product called Paraguard and planned to continue the regimen for 30 days.

In an email response to the Daily Dot, Megan stressed she did not want to implicate Costco in the incident.

“I guess the most important thing I want people to know is I’m not putting any blame on Costco at all,” she wrote. “They were very nice about it and they are the ones that told me to throw it away. They actually told me on the phone ‘please do not bring that back’ and we were all laughing about it.”

@megan_y_5 This cured me… forever and always. I’m not blaming Costco. Salmon is an extremely parasitic fish. You can’t even cook them out. This is also why parasite cleanses are SO important! The US is one of the only countries where it isn’t a regular practice. Most countries do it 1 or 2 times a year. Parasites cause so many issues within your body, you HAVE to get them out. . . . . #salmon #parasite #worms #costco #fish ♬ original sound – 🩶🏁🤍MEGAN🤍🏁🩶

She also mentioned that she knew this phenomenon wasn’t a novel one. “I do know that parasites and bugs are in most foods that we eat. But there’s a difference between knowing that information and actually seeing it with your own eyes,” Megan wrote. “After my husband and my kids saw all of those worms they were absolutely not going to eat that for dinner.”

Furthermore, Megan explained that she discovered going viral will always bring out the trolls. “A side note I’m not sure really pertains to the actual video, I’ve learned you have to have thick skin if your videos are going viral. People can be really mean on the internet and I can see how people’s choice of words can really affect someone,” she added. “It takes zero dollars to be kind.”

Reactions to the TikTok video

The clip quickly drew mixed reactions from TikTok and X users, where the video was reposted. Some commenters thanked her for exposing the issue and vowed never to eat salmon again. Others reminded viewers that parasites are a known risk in many types of fish. Because of this, some pointed out that cooking salmon to a safe temperature usually kills the worms.

Still, many viewers admitted the visuals were enough to ruin their appetite.

“I have a sensitive stomach, so I barely eat any processed foods,” one TikToker commented. “Salmon…always made me sick. My stomach saves my life.”

One user wrote that even though they loved salmon, they couldn’t look at it the same way after watching the footage. Another suggested buying only frozen fish, arguing that freezing also kills parasites before cooking.

“That’s not wild caught, it’s farm raised. I can tell by the color. Wild Salmon has a dull peach-like color. 80% of farm raised has parasites and wild caught 28%. This is why you should always FREEZE your salmon before you cook it,” one person noted.

A fisherman added their advice as well, saying, “I fish in the seas. ALL fish have parasites. Some on gills, some between scales. Some in flesh. Those are Anasakis worms. They are 100% natural and part marine life cycle. They are edible BUT you must cook the salmon. I don’t suggest eating any seafood raw anymore. Our seas are too polluted.”

Costco did not respond immediately to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via media request form.