FOOD SAFETY LATEST: Dec 17, 2017

Dec 17, 2017

Now, an easy-to-use kit to detect fish contamination

The kit, developed by CIFT, helps in ascertaining chemical contents in fish

The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), under the Ministry of Agriculture, has developed a rapid detection kit that can be used conveniently by individual buyers to determine formalin and ammonia contents in fish. There are separate kits for formalin and ammonia contamination detection, and they comprise strips of paper and a small bottle of chemical solution that works as a reagent.

To detect contamination, one has to rub the strip over the fish and later apply a drop of the solution on the strip. The result will be known in two minutes. The kit comes with a colour code indicating the level of contamination.

CIFT Director C.N. Ravishankar told the media here on Saturday that the kits had been developed over a period of six months in the wake of reports of rampant use of chemical agents to preserve fish. Some of these chemicals are extremely harmful to humans, while formalin is a cancer-causing aldehyde.

Can cause health problems

Though ammonia is not a cancer-causing chemical, its repeated ingestion can lead to health problems including injury to the mucous membrane, throat, esophagus, and stomach.

Mr. Ravishankar said around 16% of fish samples brought in by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India officials from local markets had been found contaminated. CIFT was also actively encouraged by Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, who had repeatedly asked the institute to come out with a test kit to detect chemical contamination of fish.

S.J. Lali and E.R. Priya, the scientists who were directly involved in developing the kit, said easily affordable kits were being made available for the first time.

The kits, when mass-produced, will cost less than ₹5 per test. CIFT will invite an Expression of Interest (EoI) to hand over the right for commercial production of the kit.

The team of scientists from CIFT had conducted detailed tests to ensure the reliability of the kit, said Mr. Ravishankar.

Meanwhile, the first of the fish vending units, designed and developed by CIFT scientists, was inaugurated in West Kochi on Saturday. The unit comprises a refrigerated storage and de-scaling and cutting units run on conventional power supply. The units cost between ₹30,000 and ₹40,000 each.

Caterer booked in food poisoning case

Chafai Mahila Sanstha’s office sealed; school decides to stop serving mid-day meals

An FIR has been filed against the organisation that supplied mid-day meals to a government-aided school in Jogeshwari, where 37 students were hospitalised after eating khichdi on Wednesday.

Meghwadi police said on Saturday that they had registered a case against Chafai Mahila Sanstha, a Bhandup-based women’s self-help group, three days after 37 Class V and Class VII students of Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir suffered from food poisoning. The students were rushed to Kokan Hospital in Jogeshwari for treatment when they began vomiting after having lunch.

Samples sent for tests

Senior Police Inspector Pandurang Patil said, “We have filed a case of endangering life or personal safety of others under the Indian Penal Code against Chafai Mahila Sanstha in connection with the incident. We have sealed the office and kitchen of the organisation in Kanjurmarg.”

Mr. Patil said samples of the khichdi served on Wednesday and samples of other food items prepared at Chafai Mahila Sanstha’s kitchen have been sent for analysis. Action will be taken after reports of the analysis are received on Monday.

Meanwhile, the school authorities decided to discontinue the mid-day meal scheme following a meeting with parents on Saturday. Archana Bhanushali, principal, Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir.

Archana Bhanushali, principal, Bal Vikas Vidya Mandir, said, “The parents and the management reached a unanimous decision to stop serving mid-day meals. We realise that it is mandatory to implement the mid-day meal scheme in all schools, but will do so only in consultation with parents.”

Parents’ consent sought

Sahdev Sawant, vice-chairman of the school’s management board, said, “We still haven’t received a new proposal from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for the mid-day meal scheme. No action will be taken without the involvement of parents.”

Mr. Sawant said inquiries were being conducted to find out how only students of Class V and Class VII suffered from food poisoning while over 600 students were served the same food.