Fish safety: govt gives in-principle approval for EIA lab in Margao

PANAJI: The state government has given in-principle approval to the Export Inspection Agency to set up a full-fledged laboratory in Margao for carrying out tests on fish and other food items.

“The government has given its in-principle nod for the EIA lab. The central agency must now pursue the proposal with the Union ministry of commerce and industry so as to set up the lab at the place identified at the South Goa Planning and Development Authority market complex, Margao,” said a senior officer of the health department.

A proposal has been received by the state government from the Quality Council of India for checking fish samples from the trucks arriving at the state borders from neighbouring states, the officer said.

“We hope that the QCI will get the approval within a fortnight. The QCI will primarily focus on spot tests on fish at check-posts as an interim measure… Once the EIA sets up its base in Goa it will take over from the QCI,” the officer explained.

The EIA will monitor the quality of fish that will be imported into the state and the fish that will be exported out of Goa. Besides it will also test other food items including milk and vegetables.

The state food and drugs administration will continue with its routine work, and meantime the government will upgrade FDA’s laboratory at Bambolim.

Although it has been six months since the formalin-in-fish row broke out in the state, there has been no concrete action from the government to ensure the quality and safety of the imported fish.

Sources in the FDA have said that a team has been drawing random samples of fish from local markets for testing. However, despite all these attempts the regulatory body has failed to inspire confidence in Goans over the quality and safety of fish available in the market.