EDITORIAL - Food safety

Formalin-treated fish have turned up around the country in the past years, so authorities by now should have already fine-tuned ways of preventing the sale of the tainted fish. Yet here we are again, being warned against buying formalin-treated galunggong or round scad.

In 1986, the rising price of galunggong became a campaign issue during the snap presidential election wherein Corazon Aquino challenged dictator Ferdinand Marcos. With prices continuing to rise, Filipinos long ago stopped calling galunggong the poor man’s fish.

Fish tainted with harmful chemicals can only compound the high price. The Department of Health has warned the public against consuming galunggong imported from China that has been treated with formalin, a carcinogenic substance used among others for embalming cadavers.

Formalin is intended to keep fish looking fresh longer, making the flesh firmer and keeping the gills red. People who do the marketing regularly can tell when gills are truly fresh or merely made to look a fresh pink or red. More people, however, cannot tell the difference between a genuinely fresh catch and formalin-laced fish.

The public needs better protection from these tainted products. Random inspection and tests can be conducted to find the outlets for tainted fish and trace the main suppliers. Once identified, those responsible must face appropriate punishment. The emergence of formalin-tainted galunggong from abroad should also make the government take a second look at its plan of importing more fish.

This latest furor over formalin should also lead to intensified efforts to ensure the use of safe levels and types of pesticides as well as substances that are meant to prolong the shelf life of food products. At certain amounts, these substances pose health risks including the potential to cause cancer. The latest formalin controversy is a reminder that ensuring food safety is a constant challenge.