NOVATO, Calif. — A Costco customer found a worm inside a fish he bought at the Novato store on Saturday.

Costco confirms to KRON4 News that the salmon was bought at the Novato location.

The assistant manager Maria Cabrera tells KRON4 “parasites are commonly found in fish.”  Cabrera says Costco workers are constantly looking for parasites.

Cabrera says she has “heard of this happening five times out of the 30 years she has worked for Costco.”

The customer who found the fish told Cabrera that Costco should put a warning on all fish about potential parasites.

Rebecca Ng the deputy director of Marin County environmental health services department says they have not received a report about the incident but that Costco has a good track record for food safety.

Ng says parasites can be naturally occurring in fish and other meats and that is why people are advised  to cook them and not eat them raw. She says if you cook them they will be killed and it is no longer a health risk

Ng also tells KRON4 finding a parasite in fish does not speak to the sanitation or food handling at the facility in this case Costco because the worm was in the fish when it was caught.