Now, an app from CIFT to check quality of fish

Institute’s jubilee fete from April 24

Kochi: What if there was an app that could check the quality of fish before you purchased it?

In an effort to solve a problem that vexes most buyers of fish, the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) is developing an app that can assess the quality of fish just by checking its eyes, which are glossy when fresh, but turn dull with prolonged storage.

Responsible fishing

C.N. Ravishankar, Director of CIFT, who addressed a press conference here on Saturday in connection with the week-long diamond jubilee celebrations of the institution slated to start on April 24, also highlighted the importance of responsible fishing.

He elaborated on the significant achievements of the institute over the past 60 years.

By-catch and juvenile fishing led to depletion of fish wealth. CIFT had developed a square mesh cod ends that helped juvenile fish to escape the net.

He said that CIFT, which carried out research in seven fields, was in the process of validating a testing strip which had the characteristics of a litmus/pH paper and could be used to detect the presence of ammonia and formaldehyde in fish.

“The North-East is a region that is often overlooked, but we have invented an iron rich soup powder which was tested there and the haemoglobin levels of the people in the region increased two-fold”, said Mr. Ravishankar.

One of CIFT’s primary concerns was dealing with fish waste. The bones and skin of fish were high in bio-molecules which held the possibility of such waste being converted into medicinal and industrial products, Mr. Ravishankar said.