STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Hasibur Rahman, a resident of Guwahati, had filed a Public Interest Litigation in Gauhati High Court (PIL/31/2023) challenging the inaction on the part of the State Government to ban the import of fish into the State despite the fact that research has already been carried out by Nagaon College and accepted by the State Fisheries Minister. In the research it was found that imported fish in Assam contains formaldehyde, arsenic and cadmium which are chemicals highly detrimental to public health.
During a hearing in the case on Monday, the Gauhati High Court directed the Chief Secretary, Government of Assam; Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Food and Civil Supplies Department (Food Safety); Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam, Fishery Department; and the Principal of Nagaon College to file preliminary response to the averments made in the PIL before May 22.
A guidance note titled ‘Issue of Formalin in Fish’ developed by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in collaboration with the ICAR and CIFT cautions that ingesting large amounts of formaldehyde can generally cause severe abdominal pain, vomiting, coma, renal injury, and possible death. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classifies formaldehyde as “carcinogenic to humans” with sufficient evidence for nasopharyngeal cancer in humans. It also mentions that formaldehyde is not used in food as per the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011. It also explains that formalin is a common adulterant in fish, and fish traders and suppliers use it to extend the storage of fresh or chilled fish and artificially improve sensory attributes.
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