Delhi: Toxic formalin being

used to preserve fish

 Vikas Kahol

 Chandigarh

 September 26, 2011

 UPDATED 13:15 IST

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 Vikas Kahol

 Chandigarh

 September 26, 2011

 UPDATED 13:15 IST

 READ LATER

Fish lovers beware! Unscrupulous fish wholesalers are using formalin, a toxic and
carcinogenic chemical commonly used to preserve dead bodies in mortuaries, to
prevent fish from deteriorating during transportation.
This shocking practice came to light after fisheries department authorities in
neighbouring Punjab sounded an alert.

What is alarming is that while the Punjab authorities have reacted, authorities in Delhi,
from where the fish is resold to Punjab retailers, appear unaware of the malpractice.

Dr A. K. Walia, Delhi's health minister, when contacted, said, "In the past, whenever we
have heard reports about adulteration in any food substance, we have carried out raids,
thoroughly examined the substances and subsequently taken requisite action."
"Formalin is a poisonous substance and I am hearing about its use in fish coming to
Delhi only now. We will definitely enquire about it and once it is authentically
established, we will take whatever action is required under food safety laws," he
promised.

"There is no usage of formalin to preserve the fish as the authorities keep a check on
quality of fishes coming in," insisted Chaudhary Riyasat Ali, chairman of the Ghazipur
Fish Market, Delhi's largest. Every day, about 20-26 tonnes of fish arrives at this market,
from places as far away as Orissa, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. This peaks to over 50
tonnes after October.

The contaminated fish was mostly of the Pangasius variety.

Pangasius is a type of Vietnamese catfish which is now farmed in a big way in Andhra
Pradesh.

Locally known as 'Basa', it has become extremely popular in India, since it is virtually
boneless and has white flesh favoured by those with a taste for freshwater fish. It is, in
fact, one of the most extensively farmed fishes in Asia and is one of the 10 most popular
fish varieties consumed in the US. The Basa being procured by the retailers in Punjab is
suspected to have been preserved using formalin.
Trade sources said the malpractice is widespread in Andhra Pradesh, where a bulk of the
fish is grown, as well as in the Delhi wholesale market, which feeds many towns in
Punjab.

The fisheries department authorities in Punjab have sounded an alert that wholesalers
were allegedly treating the fish with formalin - a chemical used for long-term
preservation of bodies for dissection by doctors and medical students.

The alert sent to municipal authorities in several cities including Ludhiana, Amritsar,
Jalandhar and Bathinda has asked them to constitute teams and collect the samples of
the fish for formalin contamination.

Formalin treatment increases the shelf life of the fish which takes about a week to reach
Punjab from Andhra Pradesh. Trade sources said formalin is available over the counter
and is cheap, hence it is often used to illegally preserve perishable food items like fish
and fruit.

B. K. Sood, director and warden, fisheries, Punjab, confirmed that the government had
received complaints that the fish being procured from Andhra Pradesh had formalin
contamination.

"We have issued alert to municipal health authorities to take note. We have advised
them to form teams and check if contaminated Pangasius fish were being sold in their
respective town," Sood said.

He explained that Punjab was one of the major consumption centres for the fish. "It is a
striped cat fish being cultured in Andhra Pradesh," he said.

Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa - a progressive fish farmer in Kadian in Punjab's Gurdaspur

district - stated that a few wholesalers procuring their locally produced fish had
suggested some farmers to treat fish with formalin.

"At present, the wholesalers buy live fish from local producers. Its transportation and
storage involves a lot of effort. They wanted the Punjab fish farmers to follow the
practice adopted by their Andhra counterparts to save money and labour," Bajwa said.

The farmers however raised alarm.

Ranjodh Singh - president, Innovative Fish Farmers' Club, Punjab - said fish takes up to a
week to reach Delhi from Andhra Pradesh. It is auctioned the next day and kept in the
local markets in Punjab for a further four to five days for sale. It is not possible to avoid
decomposition of the fish without a preservative.

"Farm labour in Punjab is the major consumer of Pangasius fish. They do not complain
even if they have any ill effect on health," he said. Between September and March,
Punjab consumes nearly 250 tonnes of Basa fish every day.
The fish farmers meanwhile said that Basa fish coming to Punjab also jeopardised their
business in the state. "The Andhra fish is sold at Rs 40 a kg. The locally produced Saul,
Malli and Singhara found in rivers are sold at about Rs 100 per kg. There are fish farms
which cultivate American carp and grass carp varieties sold at about Rs 300 a kg," said
Avtar Singh, a fish farmer in Barnala district.

"Preserved Basa has literally spelt doom for Punjab farmers in addition to causing health
hazard for its consumers," he added.

Andhra fish producers, however, strongly deny the practice and say they send their
produce in airtight ice containers which keep fish fresh for up to 10 days. "I challenge
anybody to prove that the fish is preserved with formalin. Let any official come to our
places and conduct any inquiry," said Ch. V. Ranga Raju, a leading fish exporter from
Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district.