Formalin-laced fish weighing over 1 tonne seized in Madurai

During the surprise checks carried out by the team at around 12.30 am, fish maintained by wholesale vendors in their outlets were found be to be laced with formalin, a chemical preservative to artificially keep the seafood afresh, sources said. M Somasundaram, Designated Officer, Department of Food Safety, who led the drive, said apart from the fellow officers, a team of nine lab analysts accompanied them to make on spot assessment of the fish.

He said that the fish laced with formalin if consumed would affect the health of the consumers. The officials after the seizure warned the vendors that stringent action would be taken if any such activity was detected. The vendor license would also be cancelled if any such illegal acts was found, the officials had said. Such raids would be conducted at regular intervals, the Food Safety Officer added.

Karimedu fish market, which is located in the city central, is active from late evening hours and remains open till morning hours. During night hours, seafood in huge volume from various coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and other states land in the Karimedu fish market.