Lourenco: Can we eat fish without fear?

PANAJI: Goans continue to shy away from eating fish due to fears of it being laced with formalin, said Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco as he questioned the state government about the Export Inspection Agency (EIA) and Quality Council of India (QCI) that health minister Vishwajit Rane had promised to set up.

In a letter to chief minister Pramod Sawant, Lourenco asked him about his stand on the sale of formalin-laced fish and the steps taken by the BJP-led coalition government to ensure that fresh, unadulterated seafood is sold in Goan markets.

“The government had promised to set up Quality Council of India laboratories at North Goa’s Patradevi and at South Goa’s Pollem borders. What is the status on the laboratories?” Lourenco said.

Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu in October had also confirmed that a “world-class laboratory” to test food quality would be set up in Goa.

Stating that fish, a staple diet of Goans, has taken a backseat since July 2018 after formalin was discovered in fish imported from other states by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) team at Margao wholesale fish market, Lourence said, “When will the day come when Goans can eat fish without fear?”