Nikili Rochill
Electrical Colony, Kohima
The state government in a commendable move, recently cracked down on traders selling fish treated with the carcinogenic agent formalin. The crackdown comes at a time when multiple news reports have been published on the increasing usage of formalin and the seizure of fish treated with formalin. On the 25thof June itself, the government seized 5280kgs of fish which had been injected with formalin which was on the way to the markets where it would be sold to an unsuspecting public.
The fish were found to be contaminated with 1.2mg of formalin, though it is difficult to estimate the full permeation of the chemical agent in the fish, and the total amount contained as per the weight per kilogram. Formalin is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen in the list of carcinogens maintained by the International Agency for Research on Cancer which is the World Health Organization’s specialized cancer agency. To clarify, an agent is placed in Group 1 when it is established that there is sufficient evidence of it causing cancer in humans. Formalin exposure is proven to cause respiratory irritation, asthma, dermatitis, respiratory cancer in severe cases, and an increase in the rate of leukaemia.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency states that the maximum amount of formaldehyde (a solution of 37% formaldehyde with water is formalin) a human can be exposedto per day,is 0.2mg per kg of body weight orally.The World Health Organization lists it as less than 0.08 ppm (parts per million) in indoor air. Formalin, being a solution of formaldehyde might have a lower limit. However, it is crucial to know that there is little data on the total formalin content found in fish, and the resultant chemicals created when the formalin reacts with the fish. It is also imperative to note that most estimates of formalin use are optimistic – illegal practices by the fish industry would not be organized, meaning that the quantity and quality of the formaldehyde used would vary, and not positively. The illegal usage of formalin thus poses a huge risk to consumers who are exposed to varying levels of the chemical in their diet.
The usage of formalin also brings to light a hidden part of such illicit practices – labour welfare.The method used by fish sellers to preserve fish in formalin is by dipping smaller fish in a formalin solution for a period of time ranging from hours to days. Larger fish have to be injected with formalin to prevent the interior organs from breaking down and rotting. The American Museum of National History interestingly describes the same process albeit a longer dipping period, but to embalm fish for preservation in museums. Very importantly, it states that the personnel in charge of dipping the fish must wear rubber masks as formalin is highly toxic, and that it must always be used in open air. This highlights an additional aspect of the usage of illegal practices by sellers – the danger that unsuspecting workers are exposed to. It is unlikely that the workers employed by fisheries would be given masks or gloves, and would be exposed to highly concentrated formaldehyde. The practice is harmful to both the underpaid workers, and consumers.
While there are questions on the effect of washing and boiling on the formalin content, there are two points to be made which rebut any argument in favour of formalin usage. Firstly, laboratory experiments have shown that washing or boiling the treated fish does not remove formalin once it is introduced as it is retained by the muscles. Even studies dealing with tracking formalin content post boiling admit that formalin being a highly volatile chemical is very reactive and though soluble in water, could lead to residual effects and chemical reacted toxic products formation in food material. A study showed that using formalin in squid led to unnaturally high levels of dimethlyamine production, a hazardous compound. Secondly, additional studies have shown that even if formalin content is low, formalin itself eradicates the nutritional value of the fish by degrading protein leaving it devoid of nutrition and unsuitable for human consumption even if it increases the “shelf life” of fish.
An ordinary buyer has no way of identifying a fish treated with formalin, and it is thus imperative that the Government ensure that pro-public policy and legal standards are met and enforced, since the relationship between consumers and sellers are effectively based on contradicting interests. The same can be done by spreading consumer awareness, ensuring compliance with food safety norms along the food chain, and cracking down on illicit malpractitioners so that honest traders are not out competed by practitioners of such illicit means who can then sell the sameware at lower prices. The Indian Council of Agricultural Researchin collaboration with the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology has recently developed a highly affordable rapid detection kitwhich can cost as low as Rs.5 per testing strip and show results in minutes. The same can be utilized by the government to conduct efficient, speedier raids. Overall, it provides a high mood of optimism for the public when the government takes such active steps to protect consumer welfare.
