Trackback URL
Download PDF A specially equipped mobile court will soon start operations to stem the alarming rise in the use of the hazardous chemical formalin, used by unscrupulous traders to preserve fish and fruits sold at markets in the capital.
Traders use formalin to keep fish and fruits looking fresh, but its regular consumption by humans can cause serious diseases including cancer.
Prof ABM Faroque of the Pharmaceutical Technology department of Dhaka University, who led a group of researchers conducting a field survey, said, “I have been conducting the survey on fish in the city markets for more than one year and found formalin and artificial colours present in most of the samples.”
“I guess formalin is also used on grapes, apples and tomatoes. If the peel of apples and grapes tastes bitter, then we can assume that the traders have used formalin on it,” he said.
He, however, said they are yet to conduct any lab tests on the use of formalin in fruits.
In the long term, indirect consumption of formalin causes cancer and the chemical’s regular intake can also cause irritation in the digestive tract that eventually turns into a peptic ulcer, experts said. Even the vapour of formalin can cause lung cancer and damage to the eye membrane, they added.
Following the reports published in The Daily Star last year, a mobile court collected several samples of fish from different markets in the city.
“Out of 11samples of big ruhi (Cyprinus rohitaka) and katla, we found formalin in nine,” said Faroque.
We also collected samples of small fish including kachki, puti, mola, baila and tengra from Palashi, Hatirpul and Karwan Bazar and found formalin in them.
Many traders inject formalin into the stomach and head of big fish with a syringe and dip the fish into the formalin solution several times before displaying it for sale, experts said.
Formalin is imported mainly from China and Italy for use in tanneries and the plastic industry, but the fish traders can easily buy the preservative popularly known as ‘medicine’ in the city’s kitchen markets including Karwan Bazar.
“If we soak the fish with ‘medicine water’, it remains fresh for several days. Otherwise, it rots within hours,” said a trader in Kathalbagan Bazar.
Talking with quite a few fish traders who requested anonymity, it became evident that almost all of them put the fish into the formalin water before displaying it for sale.
Magistrate Rokanuddoullah, who conducts mobile courts in the capital, said grape traders told him that they dip the grapes into the water mixed with ‘medicine’.
This correspondent also talked with grape traders in the city who claimed that imported grapes had already been dipped in formalin before they reached Bangladesh to prevent them from rotting.
“Yes, I have heard that some traders use medicine in fruits. But I do not do it,” said a grape vendor.
Rokanuddullah requested the environment department to import some kits to identify formalin in fish on the spot, the magistrate said, adding that they are hopeful of getting the kits next month when they would launch raids in the fish markets to punish the culprits.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply