Toxic fish

The issue of formalin adulteration has been widely reported in the media, and various government departments seem to have taken cognisance of the fact that it presents a serious public health crisis. But that is where government action has ended. There has been much finger-pointing and buck-passing between the Public Health Laboratory under the DCC and Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institute under the commerce ministry as to who is responsible.

The stance of the PHL, that they are powerless to act as fish does not come under the purview of the Pure Food Ordinance of 1958 is unpersuasive. Nor do the excuses offered by the BSTI hold much water. But the ultimate blame for this dismal state of affairs must fall to the government.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

There can scarcely be an issue more deserving of official oversight than the food we eat and the danger to the public from contaminated or toxic food products. The government should have given this issue far greater priority and long ago sorted out whatever differences existed between the relevant agencies in order to effectively resolve the crisis. Sufficient fidelity to the duty of care the government owes the public is what has been missing.

The first step would be to institute a food inspection regimen to monitor the fish that is brought to market, and to keep adulterated fish away from the consumers. And a crackdown on those who peddle such toxic produce is long overdue. Finally, wholesalers and traders inject formalin into fish to simulate freshness due to the shortage of adequate freezing facilities and poor infrastructure that makes transportation of fish time-consuming. Official attention to remedy these problems would go a long way to helping ensure the freshness of the fish that we eat.