GUWAHATI: The quality of fish imported from places like Andhra Pradesh to markets in the Northeast can now be determined on the spot, and more importantly, in a matter of minutes.
The Assam food safety department has placed an order for the supply of two variants of rapid detection kits manufactured by a German multinational pharmaceutical company.
The kits will help assess and ascertain if the fresh fish sold in the markets are contaminated with chemicals such as ammonia and formalin, which are harmful for health.
“We have placed an order for two variants of rapid detection kits through which contamination of fish and its extent can be ascertained on the spot. Generally, the test conducted on samples in a laboratory is elaborate and time consuming,” a senior official of the Assam food safety department told The Shillong Times on Saturday.
Unscrupulous traders apply ammonia on their stock to slow down the melting of ice used to preserve the fish which take time to reach the markets from source.
Formalin is a toxic and carcinogenic chemical, commonly used to preserve human bodies in mortuaries.
“The rapid detection kits will be in two variants, one of them capable of ascertaining the presence of higher doses of chemicals. The kits will take about 15 days to arrive here we have been told telephonically,” the official said.
“Nagaland has been using the kits. Now, along with Assam, the food safety departments in Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh have also placed orders for such kits, it is learnt,” he said.
The department had on Friday inspected the wholesale fish market at Betkuchi here and collected four samples for tests at the State Public Health Laboratory at Bamunimaidam. “Such a test takes about two to three days,” he said.
Fish from the wholesale market at Betkuchi is supplied to various markets in and around the city.
As it is, the department has already carried out random inspections across the state over the past five weeks as part of a public awareness programme.
Huge quantities of chemical-laced mangoes, bananas have been seized while 11 milk and nine branded edible oil samples are undergoing tests in the laboratory.
“Two milk samples were found substandard so far. Besides, eight sweetmeat shops of the 17 inspected in the city since June 8 have been directed to ensure the requisite hygiene standards while preparing the sweets within a week,” a senior food safety officer informed this correspondent on Saturday.
The food safety awareness drive has been carried out in at least six districts in the state. “The drive will be carried out across the state in the days to come,” he said.
Assam minister Pijush Hazarika, who has himself been a part of the random inspections since the past one month, has pledged stern action against errant traders.