Fish Adulteration in India

Major raids have been carried out in Kerala and Nagaland, with nearly 15,600 kilograms and Rs 10 lakh worth of formalin-laced fish being seized from the two states respectively. Formalin is the chemical used to preserve bodies and prevent its decay in mortuaries. The widespread use of the deadly chemical nowadays in the preservation of fish, fruit, and other food items is posing a great threat to public health.

Now, What is Formalin?
Formalin is a colourless but a strong-odour chemical, which is a mixture of formaldehyde, methanol and water. which is classified as a carcinogenic to humans. It contains 37 to 40 percent formaldehyde, and is used mostly in mortuaries and labs.
It is commonly used in industry for manufacture of plastic, paper or wood, to cleaning floor/ships, in the production of fertilizer and cosmetics, to preventing corrosion for oil wells, among others.
Formalin has also been used to preserve fresh foods to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life, even though its consumption is harmful to human beings..

Some of the short-term effects of formalin, according to the US National Cancer Institute, are burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, and nausea, among others. These symptoms are caused when the formaldehyde present in the air exceeds 0.1 ppm.

Continuous ingestion of formalin can lead to cancer, as it releases toxins into the body.

Where is formalin used?

The chemical and known human carcinogen can be found in many unexpected places, like wood products such as cabinets and flooring, hair straightening or curling treatments, fertilisers, cigarette smoke, and some plastic and paper products, according to a report by Fox News.

How can it be detected?

Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), under the Ministry of Agriculture, has developed a rapid detection kit that can be used conveniently by individual buyers to determine formalin and ammonia contents in fish. There are separate kits for formalin and ammonia contamination detection, and they comprise strips of paper and a small bottle of chemical solution that works as a reagent, reported The Hindu.

To detect contamination, one has to rub the strip over the fish and later apply a drop of the solution on the strip. The result will be known in two minutes. The kit comes with a colour code indicating the level of contamination.

Courtesy Yahoo News dated 27/6/18