[ 2017-02-26 ]

Stop poisoning 'Koobi' - Prof Frimpong-Boateng
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of
Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation
has asked traders to stop using formalin to
preserve food items since it was dangerous to
human health.

He said formalin was being used particularly to
preserve “Koobi,” dried tilapia, and that was
a recipe to cause cancer in people.

Formalin in fish would make it stiff, have rubbery
meat, hard scales, red gills, clear eyes, and take
away it “fishy smell” and no flies flying
around.

“This chemical, is usually used to stop dead
bodies from rotting, he said.

Formalin is a colourless strong-smelling chemical
substance usually used in industry of textiles,
plastics, papers, paint, construction, and well
known to preserve human corpse.

It is derived from formaldehyde gas dissolved in
water, post on the site of the BIMC Hospital Nusa
Dua, the first hospital in Indonesia with
accreditation from Australian Council on
Healthcare Standard International (ACHSI), has
explained.

Exposure from its gas or vapour could cause
irritation to the eyes, nose and respiratory
tract, causing sneezing, sore throat, larynx
constriction, bronchitis and pneumonia. Multiple
exposures can lead to asthma. It can also affect
the skin, causing dermatitis or allergic
reaction.

Speaking to journalists during a working visit to
the Food Research Institute (FRI) and the
Industrial Research Institute (IRR) of the Council
for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on
Friday, Prof Frimpong-Boateng said “hitherto,
opening the gills of Koobi exposed salt placed
there.

Koobi was a little softer and when you put it
somewhere flies will be attracted to it. These
days you put koobi there and even flies will not
go there”,

“So we want the few people who are destroying
that industry to stop. Don’t preserve koobi with
formalin, it is dangerous, it can cause cancer and
it is dangerous everywhere, he said.

“Tell the traders to stop using formalin but
instead use salt to preserve koobi”, Prof
Frimpong-Boateng said.

The visits was part of his familiarisation tour to
various research institutions under CSIR who play
strategic role in developing scientific research
that would feed industry and propel economic
growth.

Prof Frimpong-Boateng together with Dr Victor
Agyeman, Director-General of CSIR interacted with
the staff of the two institutes and urged them to
work hard and come out with scientific research
programmes that would help boost industry,
agriculture and education.

The Minister assured the staff of government’s
commitment to resource the research centres with
funds as it prepared to increase research fund
from 0.2 per cent to 2.5 per cent.

He also commended staff at the Food Research
Institute for the various products they had come
up with but urged them to work to link up with
industry to take up the innovation and sell them.

He however expressed regret at the level of
deterioration at the Institute of Industrial
Research despite the fact that there were
scientists ready to work but were faced with
obsolete equipment and tools.

“I think we as a people have failed the CSIR,
which was created to play a critical role in
building the economy “the Minister noted.

Source - GNA

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