Department of Aquaticbiology and Fisheries, Kariavattom University Campus, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

Department of Aquaticbiology and Fisheries, Kariavattom University Campus, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.

Department of Aquaticbiology and Fisheries, Kariavattom University Campus, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
Freshness ,disease ,

Use of chemicals in food industry is increasing day by day. The excessive use of formaldehyde, its hazardous effects and awareness of the threat to common man is being discussed here. Shrimps are one of the highly demanded delicacies throughout the world and in Kerala we use to consume a lot of shrimps collected freshly from the market believing it to be fresh. No fresh fishes coming to our local markets are fresh. They all are looking to be fresh but are treated chemically to look so. Formalin which is used in biological science to preserve the dead bodies is used to keep the freshness of the shrimps. Freshness pronounced repeatedly in all contexts is a belief not truth. Once if the fish or shrimp is kept in formalin soon after capture it will remain so for a week. A cup of formaldehyde added to ten litres of water can preserve 300 kilogram fish for a week without freezing or icing. The other face of this preservation is the life taking disease the tumours. As per the study a survey was conducted in which it was revealed that most of them who use this don’t know its hazardous effect. If chemicals are used in live vegetables and fruits it could be removed to some extent as it could eliminate it when exposed to water. But the chemicals entrapped in dead cells can’t be eliminated so easily. Cytological studies also revealed the presence of formalin between cells. Time to take a decision had exceeded. The present work intense to develop a grass root level awareness among fisherman folks.

5 , 5 , 2015