Concerns are mounting over reports that some fish traders are applying formalin, a chemical used in preserving dead bodies, to smoked salmon, tuna and other fish to keep flies away and prolong shelf life, raising serious public health questions and calls for urgent action.
Beatrice Senadju Boateng on his Facebook page has alleged that the practice is quietly putting lives at risk, even as the country battles the effects of illegal mining on water bodies and farmlands.
According to her, unsuspecting consumers may be buying and eating fish treated with formalin, a substance not meant for food preservation. She warns that this could be contributing to unexplained chronic illnesses, organ complications and sudden deaths.
“This is not preservation. This is poisoning,” she said, describing the practice as a silent threat that many families are unaware of.
Formalin is commonly used in laboratories and mortuaries to preserve biological specimens and dead bodies. Health experts have long cautioned that exposure to the chemical can have serious consequences, especially when ingested.
What has further fueled public anger is the claim that regulatory authorities, including the Food and Drugs Authority, are aware of the practice in some markets but have not acted decisively to clamp down on offenders.
Boateng questioned why stronger enforcement measures such as arrests, public prosecutions and closure of offending businesses have not been widely seen.
“If this were happening elsewhere, people would be arrested and named. Businesses would be shut down. But here, we talk and move on,” she said.
The allegations have sparked calls for immediate investigations and tougher enforcement to protect consumers. Public health advocates say food safety must be treated as a national priority, stressing that access to safe food is a basic right.
Consumers are being urged to remain vigilant and to report suspicious practices to the relevant authorities while regulators are expected to respond to the growing concerns.
