The Food Safety Department has intensified its drive against the sale of rotten and adulterated fish in Alappuzha district. With trawling ban in force, large quantities of fish are being brought from other States to the district.
Madhusoodanan B., Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, Alappuzha said here on Monday that around 1,800 kg of rotten fish had been seized from different parts of the district in raids in the last one month. “The department has intensified the raids after the trawling ban came into force. We have seized 1,500 kg of stale fish from Kayamkulam alone. Raids will continue in the coming days,” Mr. Madhusoodanan said.
No chemical-laced fish
The assistant commissioner, however, said no chemical-laced fish had been seized in the raids in the district since the start of the trawling ban. “We are conducting thorough and regular checks to ensure that neither rotten nor chemical-laced fish is sold in the district,” he added.
The department is using rapid detection strip tests to find the presence of formalin and other chemicals in fish.
Food Safety officials, as part of Operation Sagar Rani, conducted inspections in fish markets and vehicles transporting fish at Nedumudi, Mankombu, Purakkad, Punnapra, Nangiarkulangara and Thalavadi on Sunday, seized 60 kg of stale fish and destroyed it.
Formalin-laced
The Food Safety Department has launched Operation Sagar Rani across the State after it noticed that fish being brought to the State contained toxic chemicals such as formalin.
Officials said that ammonia and formaldehyde were commonly used to increase the shelf life of fish brought from other States.