Formalin-laced 92 kg tuna fish, 7 kg tilapia seized from Alappuzha

Alappuzha: Food safety department seized one month old formalin-laced tuna fish and tilapia from Vazhicherry market in Alappuzha. The officials reported that 92 kilogram of tuna fish and 7 kilogram of tilapia were laced with formalin in the market. 

A minor clash erupted at the fish market when the officials reached here for inspection on Tuesday morning. Soon, police arrived and destroyed the seized fish. 

The inspections were led by the food safety district assistant commissioner Raghunatha Kurup, Alappuzha circle food safety officer M Meeradevi, Kuttanad circle food safety officer Chitra Mary Thomas and Bijuraj. Some people in Idukki had complained of health issues recently after consumish the fish. A cat that ate raw fish was found dead here. This urged the food safety department to conduct raids in fish markets all over the state.

Formalin is the aqueous solution of the organic compound Formaldehyde. It is used mainly as a preservative to prevent the decaying of dead bodies and as an industrial disinfectant. Along with the stomach-related illnesses, intake of formalin through food may cause cancer also.