Food Safety officials to collect fish samples from all districts

The Food Safety Commissionerate has decided to collect samples of fish sold in all the districts after the presence of formalin was detected in fish sold in the state, Food Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar said on Wednesday.

The Commissionerate has also collected samples of ice used to keep fish fresh and in food items. Additionally, sample of water and products are also being collected from ice plants, ice factories, ice cream units, bottled water plants and soda and soft drink manufacturing units across the state, the Food Safety Commissioner said.

Food Safety Officers have been instructed to initiate prosecution measures in the event of toxic elements and chemicals being detected in fish and fish products, including dry fish, Biju Prabhakar said.

The Food Safety Commissionerate’s decision comes in the wake of complaints about the presence of highly toxic chemicals in fish arriving in the markets. Recently, the Confederation of Residents’ Association, Thiruvananthapuram, had lodged a complaint in this regard with Health Minister V S Sivakumar.