Shillong, June 12: Did you ever question on how the fish that you enjoy in you meal is preserved and transported to different states, or from one place to another? If not, then it’s high time for you to find out and to know about chemicals that are used to keep the fish fresh (in the markets, online purchase) for you and others to buy it.
This also becomes important for you to know because, recently the Meghalaya government has banned the sale, distribution and storage of imported fish for a period of 15 days after a sample test of river water fish showed the presence of formalin on Friday.
Various types of fish are mostly imported in Meghalaya from Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh.
Earlier, mercury was one of the reason to worry about.
What is formalin?
Formalin is a preservative that is applied on fish body to prevent its decay. According to the Experts this chemical cannot be used to preserve the fish which is meant for consumption. It is only used to increase shelf-life of the fish and this chemical is popular in the fish industry.
If animal studies are to be believed then- formalin is a cancer-causing agent.
Basically, formalin is used in mortuaries for the preservation of bodies.
How can formalin-laced fish affect your health?
-It increases the risk of cancer
-It can also make one prone to wheezing
-This chemical substance can also kill you (It is said that an adult can die after consuming 30 ml of formalin solution containing 37% of formaldehyde)
-Also, formaldehyde in formalin can increase the risk of leukemia in an individual
-It also causes nausea, burning sensation in the eyes, irritation and watery nose and eyes
-Consuming this can also lead to bronchitis and pneumonia
-An individual can be on high risk of allergic reactions
-Can increase kidney and liver problems
How to find out if your fish is laced with formalin?
It becomes very much important for one to find out whether the fish you are purchasing for consumption is laced with formalin or not. So here is how you can check:
– Check the stiffness of the fish
– Smell of the fish
– Also, if any chemical substance is applied on the fish, then must notice that no flies will hover around this type of fish
– The scales of such fish will be hard
If you find any of such signs, then in order to rid the fish of formalin, wash the fish under running water for atleast 10-12 minutes.
What will happen when formalin enters your body?
Once formalin enters an individual’s body, it will have several negative impact such as:
– Stomach and liver issues
– Skin problems
– Respiratory/ asthma
– Gastrointestinal distress
