Amid reports of widespread sale of stale and contaminated fish, the Kerala Food Safety department has advised consumers to exercise caution even as it has launched a crackdown on sellers of harmful products.
The following points should be borne in mind as you buy fish next time:
• Test the fish with your finger. While pressing down the flesh with finger, the finger print should quickly disappear as flesh bounces back. If it remains, then the fish is not fresh.
• Fresh fish will have clear, bright, shining eyes. They will have bright, metallic skin too.
• Look for firmly connected scales. Disjointed ones are found on rotting fish.
• In fresh fish the gills are bright and red. In stale fish it is brown or faded. If there's slime near the gills then it is stale fish.
• Fresh fish don't have the typical fishy smell.
Where to complain?
In the event of any adulteration in food products including fish, people can call on the toll-free number: 1800 425 1125