Environmental Health Officers in Assin Fosu have intensified a crackdown on traders using harmful substances to preserve food, leading to the arrest of a fish vendor for allegedly using formalin and mosquito spray to keep fish fresh for sale in the market.
The operation followed a report by a staff member of the Environmental Health Department, who purchased fish from the market and, upon preparing it, noticed the scales appeared rubbery and unusually tough. Further investigations revealed the use of formalin, a chemical typically used in mortuaries to preserve corpses and mosquito spray, both of which pose severe health risks.
Mr. Emmanuel Agyare, Assin Fosu Municipal Environmental Health Director, explained that exposure to formalin can cause wheezing, nausea, coughing, watery eyes, and burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat. Prolonged exposure may result in skin irritation and increase the risk of cancers, particularly testicular cancer.
He warned the public to be cautious and avoid purchasing fish or meat that looks unusually clean, has no flies around it, or appears covered in a plastic-like layer, signs that harmful chemicals may have been used.
Mr. Agyare also urged Environmental Health Officers across the region to step up surveillance and enforcement to protect the public from consuming toxic food items.
Mr. Solomon Osom-Asare, a customer who unknowingly bought the fish, described his experience: “The fish was sticky, couldn’t break, and its scales wouldn’t come off without fire. That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
Meanwhile, the arrested vendor, Madam Ama Hannah, claimed ignorance, stating she bought the fish from Mankessim already preserved, and pleaded for leniency. She called for broader public education to discourage the use of harmful chemicals in food preservation.
