Mangaluru: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Dakshina Kannada unit on Thursday urged the state govt to step up inspections at fish markets, and to take strict action against the use of chemicals to give fish a fresh look.Speaking to reporters, AAP state vice-president Vivekananda Salins said the party welcomed the recent raids and inspections carried out by health authorities against unhygienic eateries and food adulteration, but stressed that similar attention was needed to address concerns surrounding fish sold in the coastal region.Salins said there were concerns over the alleged use of formaldehyde (formalin) and ammonia to give fish a fresh appearance, and called for regular testing of fish at harbours, wholesale markets and retail outlets. He said the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) had developed a rapid testing kit containing 25 strip tests that could detect chemical contamination within two to three minutes, and urged the authorities to make use of such testing kits for regular inspections.He alleged that the formalin concentrations above 20–100 mg/kg and ammonia concentrations exceeding 100–300 mg/kg could pose health risks, and called for scientific testing before drawing conclusions about contamination in fish sold in local markets.Salins also attributed the alleged problem partly to inadequate cold storage infrastructure in local fish markets, and said that several markets needed modernisation and improvements in sanitation and storage facilities.Meanwhile, he also raised concerns over alleged adulteration of coconut oil, another staple in the coastal diet. He alleged that some traders were blending coconut oil with paraffin oil and palm kernel oil, and demanded stringent testing and legal action against those found violating food safety regulations.He demanded targeted inspections of fish samples using rapid-detection kits, construction of modern cold storage facilities and an overhaul of sanitation standards in fish markets and strict crackdown on oil adulteration.
