Mangaluru: AAP urges Health Department to crack down on fish adulteration along coast

Mangaluru: AAP urges Health Department to crack down on fish adulteration along coast

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 28, 2026: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has urged the state government and Health Department to take stricter measures to prevent fish adulteration and ensure food safety along the coastal region.

Speaking at a press conference at the Mangaluru Press Club on Thursday, AAP Karnataka vice-president Vivekananda Salins welcomed the recent series of raids and inspections conducted by the Health Department against unhygienic eateries and food adulteration in Dakshina Kannada.

Salins said recent reports indicate that chemicals such as formalin (formaldehyde) and ammonia are being widely used to make fish appear fresh for longer periods. According to scientific experts, prolonged consumption of fish treated with these chemicals can cause serious damage to the stomach and throat and significantly increase the risk of cancer, he said.

He alleged that neither the state government nor the Health Department has paid adequate attention to the issue and called for immediate action to address the health risks.

He said the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology has developed a rapid testing kit to detect chemical contamination in fish. The kit contains 25 strip tests and can detect chemical contamination within two to three minutes. Salins said fish containing more than 20–100 mg of formalin per kg is considered unsafe for human consumption, while ammonia concentrations exceeding 100–300 mg per kg can pose serious health risks.

According to Salins, the lack of adequate cold-storage facilities in local fish markets is one of the major reasons behind fish adulteration. He also pointed out that several fish markets operate in unhygienic conditions and require immediate modernisation and improvement.

He further alleged that coconut oil is also being adulterated, with some traders reportedly mixing paraffin oil and palm kernel oil with coconut oil for profit. Paraffin is a petroleum-derived substance, and its consumption can cause serious long-term harm to human health, he said.

Salins urged the authorities to conduct strict inspections and initiate legal action against those involved in food adulteration.

AAP district organising secretary S.L. Pinto, women’s wing president Seema Madiwala, district secretary Vasudev, Habib Khader and Leslie Fernandes were present at the press conference.