Fishing harbours at Thoppumpady and Munambam will be under the surveillance of the Food Safety Department as part of efforts to curb sale of adulterated fish.
The move is a follow-up to statewide checks at fishing harbours and fish markets on sale of formalin-laced fish since the last week of March. Around 80 samples collected from Munambam and Thoppumpady and fish markets at Vypeen, Perumbavoor, Kothamangalam, Angamaly, and Aluva over the last two weeks were tested negative for ammonia and formalin, according to senior officials of the department in Ernakulam.
However, the department will continue its vigil over harbours and fish markets as well as outlets across the district in the coming days against the possible sale of adulterated fish. “Even though the samples were tested negative for ammonia and formalin, surveillance will remain active,” the officials said.
Among the 80 samples tested, 12 were collected from Thoppumpady and Vypeen. A spot-testing kit developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) was used by food safety officials to test the samples. Those requiring additional testing were sent to the Regional Analytical Laboratory at Kakkanad.
While collecting samples, care was taken to pick varieties where chances of adulteration were high. The kit developed by CIFT to detect the presence of ammonia and formalin in fish comes with a colour-changing strip and two reagents for the two chemicals. On rubbing against the fish sample, the strip will change its colour when reagents are dropped if the sample has traces of harmful chemicals.
If samples test positive, the department will collect four statutory samples from the same market and register a case before a first-class judicial magistrate court under Section 50 of the Food Safety and Standards Act.
According to the Act, if chemical presence is detected in a food item, it should be classified as “unsafe”. It will also entail both imprisonment for terms varying between six months and three years for the seller and fine ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Meanwhile, Food Safety officials said the surveillance would continue throughout the month. The public can alert the department if they come across sale of adulterated fish by dialling toll-free number 18004251125. They can also contact 0484-2784807 or use dfiernakulam@gmail.com to report violations.
