Assam Fishery Dept asks four institutes to detect presence of formalin in imported fishes

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• Apr 28, 2023 | Guriya Khatun

The state fishery department previously claimed that it lacked the necessary infrastructure to carry out initial tests to find formalin in imported fish.

Digital Desk: 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.

In light of the recent development, Fisheries Minister Parimal Suklabaidya gave the order.

The four organisations 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.

According to an official release, the institutes will be expected to submit a report to the Director of Fisheries following the study and many tests on various fish samples.

The state fishery department previously claimed that it lacked the necessary infrastructure to carry out initial tests 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.

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Notably, a report from the Nagaon College Zoology Department was the first to identify the presence of formalin in the fish.

A group of research students from the institution stated at a press conference that they had collected samples from several local fish markets throughout the area and had thoroughly studied each sample at both the nearby lab and the lab in Guwahati. The research team received confirmation during this process that fish sold in markets contain that dangerous chemical.

Formalin is used as a disinfectant in industries, and a preservative in some food products, funeral homes, etc. It attains the state when formaldehyde is dissolved in water.