Inviting buyers: A matsyafed outlet at Arayidathupalam in Kozhikode. Many people are unaware of such stalls in the city .
‘Customers finding it difficult to detect presence of chemicals in fish’
Every time her husband brings fish, Ruksana checks with him as to where he purchased them from, as she loathes chemical-laced fish.
On Thursday, she noticed that the king fish that her husband had bought had a pungent smell. Moreover, flesh was coming off the chopped spine. “I was not aware that the fish was rotten. It was only when my wife told me that I realised that I had been duped,” said Abdul Gafoor, who purchased the high-priced fish from Karaparamba in the city.
After an interval, adulterated or chemical-laced fish are now extensively sold in markets in the city. Three months ago, the Food Safety Department had been after the stalls. Formalin-laced fish transported from other States were sold in the local market when vendors faced shortage of fish. The crackdown then had even led to the seizure of 5,000 kg of formalin-laced fish from Vadakara.
“Many are aware that traders buy fresh fish from local fishermen and also procure them from huge freezers where fishes are stored for more than six months to a year. Usually, traders resort to such tactics when they experience a fall in income or during festival seasons. Unfortunately, it is difficult for customers to detect the presence of chemicals,” Mr. Gafoor said.
Rajalekshmi, a retired university employee, said that adulteration would be done in a clever manner, and one could not detect it even at the raw stage. “The aromatic fish curry explains the freshness of the fish. But the dishes served at hotels and restaurants can be tricky as most of them use flavours to cover staleness. Besides, hotels have refrigerators for stocking fish for several months,” she added.
The district-level food advisory committee is vested with no powers, and the corporation health department responds only after receiving complaints. “Almost all fish markets function under the civic body. Only a ward-level monitoring committee with health officials and councillors can prevent adulteration of fish,” said P.A. Jaiprakash, a former member of the Food Advisory Committee.
Many people buy fish from the two stalls of Matsyafed, one underneath the E.K. Nayanar Flyover at Aryidathupalam Junction and the other at Thiruvangoor.
“But people are not aware of these government stalls. The fish sold at our outlets are directly purchased from local fishermen on a daily basis,” said K.P. Jeeja, who manages the stall at Aryidathupalam Junction.
Matsyafed has plans to open more stalls at Nadakkavu and Malaparamba.
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