‘No formalin threat to fish lovers in Bihar’

PATNA: The Bihar government has announced that the state does not face the threat of formalin-laced fishes.
“Soon after formalin cases were reported from other states, we ordered laboratory tests on fish samples randomly taken from local markets. The reports were negative,” Bihar minister for animal and fisheries resources Pashupati Kumar Paras told this reporter on Thursday.
The minister, however, added the state’s fish markets would continue to be under the department’s strict vigil.
Many states across the country, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam, have reported the presence of formalin in the fish samples collected from their markets. Formalin is a toxic chemical which induces cancer. It is used by a section of sellers for preserving fishes for longer duration.
“Stern action will be taken against the fish vendors caught using formalin for preserving purposes,” minister Paras said.
Bihar Animal Resources and Fisheries Department’s director (fisheries) Nishat Ahmed also said since the fish samples did not test negative, the department did not issue any advisory against the consumption of fish. Nor have the sales dipped, he said.
City’s Mithapur-based Bihar Fisheries Research Institute director Durga Prasad confirmed the test reports were negative. “Chemical tests were performed on samples collected from different fish outlets, but the toxic colourless chemical — formalin — was not found in any of the samples,” he said.
As for precautions, Prasad said though there was no reason to panic in Bihar, people should wash fish carefully before cooking as the chemical could be removed through effective washing under the running water. “Formalin gets dissolved in water... There’s no other way to remove formalin,” he said.
Prasad said formalin-preserved fishes usually lack fish odour. “People should avoid buying fishes which lack the typical odour and smell differently pungent,” he said.
FIGHTING FORMALIN
* Do not buy fishes that lack typical odour
* Effectively wash fish under running water after soaking it in water for 10-15 minutes