Formalin fear prompts many to leave fish out of menu

Fish is no longer a favourite option for many city dwellers as selling formalin-treated fish has become a rampant practice in the city’s kitchen markets, endangering public health.
“The next time you go to the fish market beware of those fresh-looking fish where even the flies don’t dare to get close… it could be treated with deadly chemical formalin,” said Syed Rabius Shams, assistant secretary of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Managers of Bangladesh.
He went on: “There was a time when I used to take fish every day, but now fish is not a favourite option for my family, as most fishes are formalin treated.”
A typical commercial grade of formalin may contain 10-12 per cent methanol in addition to metallic impurities such as aluminium (3 ppm), iron (1 ppm) and copper (1 ppm).
Dr Golam Mostofa, associate professor of Dhaka University’s fisheries department, said formalin is used for preservation of tissue. “It has no permissible limit for food preservation. It’s a kind of poison.  High doses of it can cause death. If formalin is used in fish, it’ll act slowly in human body.”
About the growing formalin fear among the city dwellers, a government physician who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “It’s a double trouble for those who are living in this nasty city. While you’re taking fish, you’re actually taking poison because of formalin. And when you’re leaving it out of your menu, you’re actually depriving yourselves from necessary protein.”
He said the authorities should set up permanent enforcement units in all fish markets of the city to nab the culprits who indulge in such illegal activities.
Even of late, the government has set up a formalin-testing unit at Karwan Bazar, the city’s premium kitchen market, as part of a move to ensure formalin-free fish for the city-dwellers. It has so far detected 18 cases of lacing fish with formalin.
But the city dwellers said setting up a formalin-testing centre at Karwan Bazar kitchen market is not enough, as some 150 tonnes of fish are sold in kitchen markets across the city every day apart from a half a dozen wholesale markets. They demanded that formalin-testing unit be set up at every kitchen market of the city.
Officials at the formalin-testing centre at Karwan Bazar said lack of awareness among consumers is a major impediment to the drive’s success, as only 10-12 consumers come to the testing unit on average every day to have their fish tested.
They, however, said the testing unit has been able to create a positive impact on selling formalin-free fish at the Karwan Bazar fish market.
“We didn’t find any formalin contaminated fish in the last few days, although 18 cases were detected within one month since its inception,” said Taposh Kumar, an operator of the unit.
Karwan Bazar Fish Arot Samity president Abdur Rahim Mollah said if any formalin-contaminated fish is detected, the Bazar committee immediately withdraws the fish from the market. But they have no right to punish the formalin-laced fish sellers without proper investigation.
He said inadequate freezing facilities and ice factories and time-consuming transport force the fish sellers to resort to such malpractice.
Abdur Rahim said most of the contaminated fish found in the market are imported from India.
He said shrimps coming from Satkhira are contaminated with formalin.  “Traders at Arot (wholesale market) or retailers are not the real culprits. Formalin is being used at sources,” Rahim said.
The formalin-testing unit is a result of a project taken up by five government officials as part of their professional skill development.
The five officials formed a committee to implement the project with AKM Monwar Hossin, deputy secretary of Home Ministry, as its coordinator. Home Affairs Ministry, Export Promotion Bureau, DCC, BSTI, Consumers Association Bangladesh, Tejgaon Thana, Department of Fisheries, Hope-87 Bangladesh, Karwan Bazar Fisheries Traders Association and local lawmakers are assisting the project.
If the pilot project at Karwan Bazar succeeds, the initiative will be expanded in other city markets and mega shops.
 
Courtesy of The Independent