Carbon monoxide-treated fish removed from shelves

2/22/2006

The China Post staff

Nearly all wholesale store chains in Taiwan have moved tilapia, a popular fish for local consumers, from their shelves as government health agencies intensified the inspection of fish products if they were treated with carbon monoxide (CO) for more attractive appearance. Executives at Carrefour, RT-Mart, Tesco, and Geant stores said sales of tilapia for sashimi (raw fish) and fish chops have tumbled after the report that 30 percent of fish sold in Kaohsiung were found to have contained traces of CO.

Raw tilapia and tuna are among the most popular fish products savored by local consumers.

Health officials in Kaohsiung has ordered suppliers of the so-called "CO fish" to remove the products.

The Department of Health (DOH) has expanded inspection of fish processing plants and fish vendors in central Taiwan, especially Yunlin County, to make sure that CO was not used.

Experts said that the CO treatment may sometimes make the reddish or pinker color last for one or even two years if the fish products are contained in vacuum packs.

However, the meat of the fish could have long spoiled despite the attractive appearance.

The officials clarified that CO is not listed among the additives that can be applied to fish products. This means that fish processors and marketers would have broken the regulations if they treat their products with CO.

Jiang Yu-mei, a health official in Taipei, said it would be extremely hard to detect CO in fish without sophisticated testing instruments.

But she advised consumers to take three steps to distinguish fresh fish from the CO fish: 1) observing the fish meat with two layers of colors if the product was treated with CO, 2) touching the fish to detect the resilience of the product, and 3) smelling to find out if there is a foul odor.