Guwahati: Four institutions in the state of Assam have been requested by the state’s fisheries department to conduct a thorough investigation into whether formalin is present in imported (chalani) fish.
This was directed by the Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya in light of the new development.
The four institutes are –
• Zoology Department, Gauhati University.
• Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute,ICAR,NER, Guwahati.
• College of Fisheries, Raha.
• College of Veterinary Sciences,Assam Agricultural University, Guwahati.
The institutes will be required to submit a report with the Director of Fisheries after research & multiple testing of various fish samples, an official statement read.
The state fishery agency had previously claimed that it lacked the necessary infrastructure to carry out initial testing to find formalin in imported fish.
This is the reason the aforementioned department has not yet tested the formalin levels of imported fish in Guwahati, according to a source.
Notably, a paper from the Nagaon College Zoology Department was the first to identify the presence of formalin in the fish.
In a press conference, a group of college research students said that they had collected samples from numerous local fish markets throughout the area and thoroughly studied each sample at both the nearby lab and the lab in Guwahati. The research team received confirmation that the toxic chemical was present in fish sold in markets at this time.
Formalin is used as a disinfectant in industries, a preservative in some food products, funeral homes etc. It attains the state when formaldehyde is dissolved in water.
