SHILLONG, June 9: It looks like fish is off the menu for citizens of the state, at least for the next few weeks or months.
A day after Meghalaya health authorities found the presence of formalin in imported fish samples collected from the city markets, they have now flagged the issue of fungal and bacterial contamination of the imported fish.
The authorities had announced a ban on the import of fish on Thursday after the revelation about formalin. Some unscrupulous traders use it to preserve fish.
“The samples have also tested positive for serious fungal and bacterial contamination,” a senior health official said on Friday.
According to officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, ingestion of foods with mold contamination can cause memory loss, headache, joint pain and persistent cough.
Ingestion of as little as 30 ml of a 37 per cent solution of formalin can be fatal and continuous intake, even in smaller quantities, can cause major gastrointestinal diseases, the officials said.
Khasi-Jaintia Fish Wholesalers and Retailers Association (KJFW&RA) executive member C Wankhar said, “We urge the authorities to pinpoint those involved in putting formalin in fish. This is a serious criminal offence and the culprits should be punished.”
The association on Friday decided that the fish market at Iewduh will continue to operate but it will sell only local fish and those imported from neighbouring states.
After meeting Commissioner of Food Safety RM Kurbah, KJFW&RA general secretary, D Marbaniang told reporters the association will cooperate with the government. He said the association is happy with the reply from the authorities on why they issued the order to ban the import of fish.
He said the Commissioner of Food Safety stressed that they should not sell some fish varieties, including Rohu, Pomfret and Pangasius, imported from Andhra Pradesh.
Marbaniang said the government will not accept the certification issued from Andhra Pradesh that the fish varieties are free from formalin. He said the officials from the Commissionerate of Food Safety will conduct tests by collecting samples.
“We made a request that the collection of samples and testing should be done at Iewduh before they unload fish from the trucks. We would not only return the fish but also blacklist the companies if the government finds the presence of formalin,” he said.
Echoing similar views, KJFW&RA executive member T Wankhar said the association would not want to sell fish which pose a serious threat to the health of people.
“We would want to sell only those fish varieties which are safe to eat,” Wankhar said.
He further said that the price of fish might go up since the supply of local fish will be less compared to demand.
“But I am confident that the government will be able to resolve this problem within 15 days,” he said.
The fish market at Iewduh wore a deserted look on Friday following a notification issued by the state government to ban the import and sell of fish for a period of 15 days. (With PTI input)
