Fish samples to be tested at RIPANS

Samples of fishes collected from market here would be tested at the laboratory of the Regional Institute of Para-Medical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) to ascertain whether cancer-inducing formalin is present or not, a senior Mizoram health department official today said.

Joint Director of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Lalsawma told PTI that one and a half kilogram of fish samples collected from Bawngkawn market from where fish sellers purchase the fishes imported from different states was tested at the Food Testing Laboratory at Zemabawk last week.

"Disruption of power supply coupled with long storage of the testing equipment made it impossible to accurately test the samples, "Lalsawma said.

Though a few samples tested in the Forensic Laboratory here proved negative, the state FDA did not want to take chances in view of banning of imported fish by neighbouring states like Manipur and Assam.

The fish samples would be tested at the RIPANS laboratory, the official said.

He said that the samples of Nabati wafers was also sent to a laboratory in Kolkata and the test results were awaited.