270kg stale fish seized, destroyed; 13 samples sent for toxicity test

270kg stale fish seized, destroyed; 13 samples sent for toxicity test

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:05.09.2021

Food safety officials have seized more than 275 kg of stale fish from vendors and warehouses at the Kasimedu and Chintadripet markets. The fish were taken away in trucks and destroyed as per bio-medical waste norms, Chennai food safety designated officer Dr Satish said.

In addition, at least 13 samples were picked from vendors – big and small – as they were suspected to be laced with toxic preservatives such as formalin. The Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissionerate had recently ordered inspection of fish markets following complaints from various sources including CM’s cells and collectorate about sale of stale fish and use of harmful preservatives, officials said. On Saturday, city teams inspected three major city markets in Kasimedu, Chintadripet and Nochikuppam. “Over 200kg of fish in Chitradripet storage units and another 75kg in Kasimedu stored in deep freezers or heaps of ice were found to be stale,” Dr Satish said.

Most of these fish varieties came from states such as Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal by trains to Chennai. “Fish have a short shelf life and must be stored in the right temperature during transport. Since they are expensive, vendors use excess amounts of chemicals such as formalin,” Dr Satish said.

Public health experts warn that formalin, a derivative of formaldehyde, called “human carcinogen” is used to preserve bodies. When food laced with formalin is eaten, it triggers a metabolic process and produces toxins. While in the short term it can cause digestive problems, it may eventually cause diseases such as cancer.