Blanket ban on fish over formalin scare in Patna

The Bihar government on Monday banned sale, storage, transportation or any business of all types of fish — dead or alive — for 15 days in state capital Patna after formalin and heavy metals were detected in fish samples here.

Announcing the blanket ban on fishes in Patna, principal secretary, health, Sanjay Kumar, who is also the commissioner of food safety, said, “In October, altogether 10 samples were sent for testing to Central Food Laboratory, Kolkata. While formalin has been detected in seven of them, heavy metals — lead, cadmium and mercury — were detected in all of them. Thus, under Section 59 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, fish business has been banned for 15 days in Patna municipal area.”

Violation of the ban can result in up to seven years of imprisonment and up to Rs 10 lakh fine.

Of the 10 samples sent for testing, six were from Andhra Pradesh and two each for West Bengal and Bihar. “Rohu” and “Katla”, two of the most consumed varieties in Bihar, were a part of the testing. “We will also apprise the governments of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal about the test results in public interest,” Kumar said.