Decaying fish was seized in Soledad, Atlántico

A total of 17 and a half kilos of fish and shellfish in a state of decomposition was confiscated this Wednesday, April 13, during an operation by the Mayor's Office of Soledad, in the company of its secretariats of Health and Government, as well as the Personería of the municipality.

In general, places where fish, shellfish, sardines and tuna are sold were inspected, hoping to market their merchandise during this Easter weekend, when the Catholic faithful are vigilant and can only eat white meat.

The operation was carried out both in stores and large stores as well as in the public market in Soledad and in the Torre del Pescado (a traditional place where seafood preparations are sold). The authorities examined 6,115 kilos of fresh fish and 4,100 kilos of canned seafood.

The municipal representative of the municipality, Aristarco Romero Meriño, recommended “purchasing these products in reliable and clean establishments, which guarantee the conditions of conservation and cold chain, in order to avoid any type of damage to health or intoxication”.

The head of the Public Health program at Soledad's Ministry of Health, Shirley Acuña, told Blu Radio that they identified “places that did not have sanitary conditions, as very poor hygiene and people did not have the right tools to sell these products.”

The official also took the opportunity to suggest that consumers memorize and take into account the organoleptic characteristics of fish and shellfish — color, smell, taste and texture — at the time of purchase, in order to avoid outbreaks of foodborne diseases (ETS).

The Director of Promotion and Prevention of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Gerson Bermont, last Monday issued a series of recommendations so that people do not lose their money on decomposed fish or, in the worst case, eat it and acquire an ETA.

● Acquire fresh and healthy food according to your usual appearance, smell, texture and color.

● Avoid buying food on the street, mainly fish and seafood, as they do not guarantee minimum storage conditions (hygiene, protection, refrigeration or freezing).

● Fish and shellfish must be refrigerated immediately after capture and maintain the cold chain during transport, display and sale. For this reason, they should be the last products purchased and consumed in the shortest possible time or if they are not going to be consumed soon, refrigerated or frozen at home as soon as possible.

● Avoid buying foods that have frost or ice crystals on their surface, as they may have been stored for a long time or lost cold chain.

● Dried fish should have a uniform yellow color, without reddish or greenish spots or ammonia smell and packaged to avoid contamination.

● The inner meat and surface of the seafood should be moist, soft and slightly firm without black spots, no sticky feeling to the touch and its smell should be characteristic. The shrimp must keep its head and legs firm to the body, without black or grayish rings on the surface of the body.

● Fishery products that have shells (such as lobster, crab and shrimp) must be hard and flexible to the touch. The crab, crab and lobster pliers should return to their original position when stretched. The clams must have a full shell and tightly closed.

● Remember to check the expiration date of packaged foods, the health record and the integrity of the packaging.

● Canned goods must not have any slits, bulges, or rust. When opening the can, no foreign gases or odors should be released, nor should any stains be observed on the product or on the inside of the package.

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