MARGAO: To coincide with two years of detection of “formalin in fish”, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) observed “Food Safety Day” on Sunday.
In an online address to south district members, AAP Convenor Elvis Gomes reminded them that on July 12 2018, a FDA team headed by Food Inspector Iva Fernandes had in a surprise operation conducted tests on fish arriving from other States and found presence of formalin in fish. The said news had sounded alarm bells across Goa over food safety in the State raising concerns about safety of fish consumed in Goa.
Gomes pointed to the rampant use of chemicals to force ripen fruits as was shown through a video filmed by a seafarer undergoing quarantine in a hotel in Margao.
AAP South Goa convenor Rodney Almeida said “Two years down the line, political forces had managed to hush up the investigations, but at the same time had ‘punished’ the very officer Iva Fernandes, who had taken the initiative to test the fish by sidelining her into a desk posting.”
“After the noise about formalin in fish, ministers had promised “state-of-the-art laboratories” to check the quality of fish arriving in the State. But like in all other cases, this assurance too has not seen the light of the day. Where is the laboratory? AAP will commemorate July 12 as Food Safety Day in Goa as a grim reminder of neglect of food safety standards by the government,” said Almeida.
Almeida demanded to know whether fish entering the State was fit for consumption by humans as the wholesale market conditions at Margao were far from hygienic.
He alleged that there was no control on artificial ripening of fruits with FDA kept under fetters by powerful lobbies that dictated terms to the authorities.