Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, Shri Radha Mohan Singh on January 30, 2018 launched the Rapid Detection Kits for Adulterants in Fresh Fish.These kits are developed by Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Kochi.
Objectives: These kits are developed to detect Ammonia and Formaldehyde in fresh fish. Both chemicals are dangerous for human health. Ammonia helps in preventing ice from melting and use of formaldehyde increases the shelf life of fish. Hence many people in the fisheries sector are using these chemicals. The Rapid Detection Kit helps in detecting both the chemicals in the fish.
Why these chemicals are harmful: The continuous ingestion of ammonia and formaldehyde can lead to many health issues including abdominal pain, vomiting, unconsciousness, and sometimes even cause death. Fish consumption is beneficial for health. Since fresh fish is highly perishable in nature, so fish don’t have a long shelf life.
Real concerns: India’s domestic fish market is reported to be selling formaldehyde-adulterated fish, especially in markets located far away from landing centres or production sites. According to Indian and International regulations, the fresh fish and shellfish should be preserved only by means of ice and use of substances other than ice to maintain quality is a fraudulent practice.
