Estimation of Formaldehyde Contamination In Selected Sea Fish Species Sold In Ernakulam District of Kerala State

Fish is an important source of food rich in protein. Fish consumption pattern has seen an upward trend in recent times owing to wide publicity of health benefits of fish consumption. However, there appears to be rampant adulteration of fresh fish using unapproved chemicals and additives which are being highlighted in both print and electronic media. Among the added contaminants, volatile toxic aldehydes such as formaldehyde are quite commonly used, which are classified as Group 1 carcinogenic agents to humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).

The present study was undertaken in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Kerala state. This is a cross sectional study of commonly consumed sea fish species sold in Ernakulam district of Kerala State. The selected sea fish samples were collected and qualitatively screened for contamination with formaldehyde, using a formaldehyde detection kit. Quantitative estimation of formaldehyde was done in those samples that tested positive during qualitative screening using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and the values were compared with the standard tolerable level for humans.

Out of 65 fish samples qualitatively screened for formaldehyde, 16 samples tested positive with a percentage prevalence of 24.62%. The values of formaldehyde concentrations obtained from the quantitative estimation of those samples that tested positive during qualitative screening were within a range of 1.162-17.341 mg/kg and were found to be within the tolerable levels for humans

From this study we conclude that even though the formaldehyde values were within the tolerable level for humans, the issue of adulteration of fish with formaldehyde still exists, though the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) completely prohibits its use.