Odisha fisheries dept find formalin in fish in city market

Odisha fisheries department today found traces of 'formalin' chemical in fish available in the city's market, officials said.

Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Secretary Vishal Gagan told reporters here that traces of the chemical was found in a pomfret fish sample collected from Unit-IV fish market in Bhubaneswar.

"Our officials had collected nine samples of which one tested positive for formalin," he said adding officials will ascertain from where the seller had procured the stock and destroy the whole of it if more fish test postive.

The secretary said the fish samples were collected from the market and examined on the orders of the Fisheries and Animal Resources Development Minister Pradeep Maharathy.

Department sources said special kits for fish sample testing have been sent to several districts where huge quantities of fish are bought from neighbouring states including Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier, Assam government had banned import of fishes from outside the state after finding traces of the chemical in fish here.

Formalin, a toxic and carcinogenic chemical commonly used to preserve dead bodies in mortuaries, is used to prevent fish from deteriorating during transportation.