November 14, 2013 — Researchers in North Carolina have found unnatural levels of formaldehyde in imported fish. The toxic chemical might have been used to prevent spoilage in the fish.
Is this another reason why inspection of imported fish should be handed over to USDA?
The opposition to the USDA catfish inspection program has turned up the heat, producing at least a half dozen videos condemning it and filling e-mail boxes with tales of waste and the potential for trade retaliation if it is implemented.
Their latest justification for eliminating USDA inspection is that people have been eating imported fish for years, and no one has gotten sick. The real issues are twofold – does a large percentage of imported fish contain harmful substances or chemicals at levels that would prevent their entry into this country, and does the United States have the capability to adequately detect these tainted fish?
It appears the answer is yes, and no, respectively.
According to a September Food Safety News article, researchers in North Carolina found that a large number of fish imported from Asian countries contained “unnatural levels” of formaldehyde, a toxic chemical commonly used as a disinfectant or embalming agent. When researchers tested U.S. fish of the same species, they found no harmful chemicals.
Read the full article at Delta Farm Press