By JULIE MILLER

Staff Writer

Freshman music major Chris Hatten has one major reservation about eating sushi. "I'm kind of afraid that I'm eating Nemo," he said.

Hatten, like many other Tech students, is concerned about the safety of the food trend sushi has become.

"I prefer my food cooked," he said. "I wonder how sanitary it can be. There's some sort of treatment they do before serving it, right?" he asked.

Indeed, there is. Hollie Best, a registered dietitian and retail operations manager for Aramark Food Services on campus said the federal government makes sure of that.

"There's a [Food and Drug Administration] code with sushi that requires all raw fish to be frozen for a certain period of time," Best said. "Raw fish can be safe to eat if it's handled with care and processed correctly. You want to make sure it's from a reputable institution before you eat it."

Best advises those who are iffy about eating raw fish in sushi to ask questions first.

"If you go to a restaurant, you can ask where they got the fish from and if they cook it," she said. "There is a possibility that it may have parasites or bacteria, which will cause illness."

Because of that, pregnant women, young children, elderly adults and anyone who is immune deficient, such as those with AIDS or liver disease, are especially cautioned about eating sushi, Best said.

Hatten does not really mind risking his health for exotic cuisine, but he is still not a big fan of sushi.

"I don't like the texture of it, because it squishes in my mouth. I prefer my food cooked and non-mushy," he said.

However, there are many who indulge in the Japanese treat on a regular basis, and it is because of its health benefits.

"Fish is very high on omega 3 fatty acids," Best said. "It's very heart-healthy. They found that when the Eskimos died, it wasn't because of heart disease, because they ate lots of fish."

Best also pointed out that vegetables in sushi are good for the body, too.

Kevin Allen, a junior speech communication major, has never considered eating sushi but wonders how healthy it can be for you.

"I want to know how fattening it is," he said. "Could it possibly be healthy for you?"

Best said eating sushi can actually be healthy.

"A typical setting of sushi has seven to nine pieces, and it contains about 300 to 400 calories," Best said.

"You have your fatty fish versus your leaner fish, but it's pretty much all healthy."

Those who believe all sushi has raw fish in it, though, are mistaken.

"Be aware that sushi is named for vinegar rice," Best said. "Sushi is not raw fish."

Sushi comes in variations that include vegetarian and cooked, Best said.

"I prefer the California Rolls (a vegetarian mix) and avocado because growing up here, we want our food cooked," Best said.

So, is sushi a future menu item for the Aramark Food Services on campus?

"I would love to see it, but it does take lots of preparation, so we'd have to consider that," Best said. "And, besides, my prediction is that there's only about 5 percent here on campus that would probably eat it."

Maybe the other 95 percent are Nemo fans.