Punalur: The food safety department has issued a warning to people not to buy fish that is smeared in sand. It also alerted people to be careful as this is done to fool the people misleading it to be it to be a new variety of fish.
The alert was issued at the awareness campaign conducted as part of the Model Food Safety Panchayat project. The traders fool the people saying that these fishes are caught fresh from the sea.
The sand found on the open shores are taken and spread over the fishes. These sand infected with germs get into the fish bodies and spread to humans, says the authorities.
Preserving fish should be done only with ice. A kilo of fish can be preserved using the same amount of ice. The fishes must not be dumped inside ice box. Pure water must be used to make ice. These huge blocks of ice must not be dragged on floors and vessels made of bamboo must not be used to handle fishes.
How to identify good fish
- The gills of the fishes are shaped in a definite design and are dark red in colour
- Fishes will have bright bulging eyes
- Look for firm, shiny fish
- Sniff the fish and it must not have a strong, fishy odour
- When you touch the fish, the flesh of the fish must bounce back
- The skin surface must be tight and scales tightly attached. Avoid fishes with loose skins
Rampant in TVM
The smearing of sand over fishes is rampant in Thiruvananthapuram district. Now these kind of fishes are also seen in Kollam. These kind of spoilt fishes were seized from Anchal a few months back. Awareness campaign and inspections at fish markets have been intensified, says T S Vinodkumar, Food Safety Officer, Punalur.
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