Holy Thursday: recommendations to avoid eating spoiled fish

In Colombian Catholic households it is a tradition for fish to be prepared on the days of Major Week, especially on Thursday and Good Friday. Given the increase in the sale of this animal for consumption in cities, the Health authorities have made some recommendations for citizens to ensure that they buy food in its best condition.

The Ministry of Health of Bogotá recommended that the inhabitants of the capital, as a first step of care, ensure that the places where they buy fish are reliable and clean, that is, that they also comply with the conditions of conservation and cold chain to market this product.

According to the recommendations provided by the local health authority, the proper refrigeration and preservation of fish can be identified through different characteristics such as color, smell and texture.

If the person plans to buy fresh fish, the recommendation is to check that the galls are moist and bright red. It is also important to check the eyes of the fish, they should look outstanding, clean, transparent and bright. Finally, the texture of the meat must be firm, it should not sink when touched or have a bad smell.

They added that citizens should also refrain from buying fish in street stalls that do not guarantee refrigeration or in establishments where the price of protein is well below the established level.

On the other hand, if citizens wish to purchase frozen fish, it is key that they do not accept a soft or semi-frozen product and, in this case, verify that the meat is pink or white, only the skin can be dark. It should also not have an odor out of the ordinary or rust-like, if this is the case it is better not to buy it. They also warned that once thawed, they should not be frozen again.

Another type of fish that is very popular at this time of year is dried fish, which must have a uniform yellow color, without red or green spots, it must also be firm and not have a bad smell.

In the case of fish consumption in canned presentations, the entity recommended to always verify that the cans have the expiration date visibly, without corrections or deletions. In the same way, verify that the condition of the packaging is appropriate, without bumps, slits or holes and, finally, that when uncovering the product you do not notice a strange smell.

They also added that for the purchase of seafood, the meat inside and the surface must be moist, soft and slightly firm without black spots or sticky feeling to the touch; while for shrimps they must keep their heads and legs firm to the body, without presenting black or grayish rings on the surface of the body.

All these recommendations from the Ministry of Health are in addition to the inspection, surveillance and control operations that the authorities have been carrying out in different market places, warehouses, supermarkets, mini-markets, food centers, restaurants, among others. It should be remembered that by this date, but last year, 240 operations were carried out in all the towns of Bogotá, in which more than 560,000 kilograms of food and 18,000 liters of beverages were inspected.

In total, 3,311 kilograms of fresh fish and fishery products, pork and poultry, cheeses, bakery products, among others, were seized last year.

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