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Fish imported from Assam are seen inside stall at Mokokchung town during an inspection on Friday.[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, March 1 (EMN): The deputy commissioner of Mokokchung has banned the import of fish and other fish products from outside and sale of the same in Mokokchung district with immediate effect.
The order from Mokokchung DC came after fish samples that were sent to the office of the State Public Health Laboratory in the Kohima on Feb. 27 came back with the result that the fish contained ‘added formalin’ contravening the Food Safety and Standard (Food Production Standard & Food Additives) Regulations 2012 under Section 9.1.
The DC’s order stated that anyone found violating the order shall be penalised as per relevant sections of the law.
On Friday, a team led by the district’s food safety office, which included officials from administration and dobashis conducted an inspection at the fish stalls and wholesale stores around the town early in the morning. However, they could not find a single imported fish treated with formalin.
It has been speculated that the imported fish went underground because information of the pending raid was leaked. By then, residents of the town were already aware that samples sent from had Mokokchung benn tested positive; or the supplier had stopped the import of fish to the district.