Formaldehyde in Fish

Fish brought into the region from outside could have a very high presence of formaldehyde in them. While the practice of using formaldehyde in order to increase the shelf-life of fish and sensory attributes like colour has been carried out literally unhindered by unscrupulous traders, the good news is that the Gauhati High Court has taken cognizance of a PIL filed last year pointing out certain glaring discrepancies in the government mechanism to detect the content of formaldehyde in imported fish. The petitioner, namely Hasibur Rahman, pointed out in the course of the hearing last week that there are various shortcomings in the Standard Operating Procedures that the State Fisheries Department published on January 20 this year. According to the petitioner, there is a variation in respect to the inspections carried out by the State Public Health Laboratory, the College of Fisheries, Gauhati University, Nagaon College, Dibrugarh University, and the Fishery Departmental Officers at district level in 2023. His contention is that though other agencies have found chemical formaldehyde in the fish imported from other states, the Fisheries Department’s survey has found all the samples to be negative. In view of this contradiction, the petitioner prayed for a report from an independent agency other than any state government agency. After hearing both sides, the Gauhati High Court last week directed the state government to file an affidavit within three weeks in respect of Kamrup (Metro) district detailing the action taken by the Fishery Department pursuant to the SOP of January 20, 2024. Formaldehyde is a highly toxic substance with human carcinogenicity. Chronic inhalation and/or consumption of formaldehyde can result in various health problems of serious nature. Scientists at the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Cochin have said that increased exposure to this chemical can increase the risk of cancers in the pharynx, nasopharynx, and brain, as well as dermatitis and allergic reactions. Ingestion of 30 ml of formalin has been reported to cause death in an adult human being. Ingestion may cause corrosive injury to the gastrointestinal mucosa with nausea, vomiting, pain, bleeding, and perforation. These injuries are most pronounced in the pharyngeal mucosa, epiglottis, and esophagus. Systemic effects include metabolic acidosis, central nervous system depression and coma, respiratory distress, renal failure, and associated cancer and tumour development. According to the Food Safety and Standards of India (FSSAI) Regulation 2011, formalin is not permitted for use in foods. In most cases, dishonest traders have been found to use formaldehyde to prevent spoilage and keep fish marketable. It is important to note that ICAR-CIFT developed a ‘CIF Test’ rapid detection kit, a consumer-friendly method, for checking formaldehyde content in fish a few years ago.Unfortunately, this kit is not available in Assam, and consumers are thus exposed to high formaldehyde content, posing a risk to their lives.