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Formalin scare: Assam fisheries dept asks 4 institutes to test fish samples

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Guwahati ,April  28: Amidst reports of the presence of formaldehyde in imported (chalani) fish sold in Assam and the potential risks posed to human health, the director of fisheries has, following a directive from the fisheries minister, asked four institutes of the state to conduct in-depth research and inquiry to ascertain the veracity of the claims.

The fisheries director had sent letters to the zoology department of Gauhati University; Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, ICAR, North East Region (NER), Guwahati; College of Fisheries, Raha; and College of Veterinary Sciences, Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati.

The institutes have been asked to carry out research and test, in their respective laboratory set-up, various samples of fish imported to Assam from other states such as Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, and ascertain whether formaldehyde, cadmium and other heavy metals were present in these imported fish.

The institutes have been asked to also share the reports with the director of fisheries for further necessary action. “The fishes to be tested may be procured/collected from the nearby fish market where imported (chalani) fishes are sold,” the letter to the institutes read.

Notably, reports about the presence of formalin in fish imported to Assam from other states have, of late, been circulating in a section of the media which were based on a recent report published by the zoology department of Nagaon College.

“The news is revealed by the zoology department of Nagaon College in which a researcher of that college tested the imported fish and detected the presence of formaldehyde and even cadmium. The fish were purchased from Nagaon’s main fish market,” the letter further read.

Formaldehyde is a colourless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products. “Dead fish can be preserved for years, using this chemical,” said an expert here.

According to reports, ingesting large amounts of formaldehyde can generally cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury and possible death. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO has classified formaldehyde as “carcinogenic to humans” with sufficient evidence for causing nasopharyngeal cancer in humans.

Meanwhile, amidst concerns expressed by people over the potential threat to human health, state food safety department officials visited the wholesale fish market at Betkuchi here on Friday and reportedly collected samples of fish for tests.

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