Quantitative Risk Assessment for Formalin Treatment in Fish Preservation: Food Safety Concern in Local Market of Bangladesh

AbstractIn Bangladesh, fishes are adulterated by hazardous chemicals at different steps from farm to consumers. Formalin (FA) is reported to be frequently added as preservative either by dipping or spraying to the fresh fishes by the fish traders while transporting to domestic marketing chain to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life. Thus, the objective of the present study was toconduct quantitative risk assessment (QRA) for formalin treated fish in Bangladesh. The probabilistic QRA of formalin treated fish was performed based on available secondary data. Available data on concentration of formalin in fish, daily fish consumption by the consumer and their body weight were used to estimate the risk of residual formalin to the consumers. Based on the data, three different scenarios (average consumption, two and four times of average consumption considered as scenarios 1, 2 and 3, respectively) were used for exposure analysis using @Risk program version 6.0.FA concentration in consumedfresh and cooked (boiling) fish was 5.34x10-02 and 2.340x10-02 (mg/kg bw/day), respectively and national average fish consumption was 200g/day. QRA reveals that FA intake under scenario1 and 2 was lower than acceptable daily intake (ADI 0.2mg/kg bw/day set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency) thus lower risk observed for both fresh and cooked fish. However, scenario 3 revealed that 0.01% population was at risk (FA intake 0.21mg/kg bw/day higher than ADI) upon the fresh fish consumption, where cooked fish (FA 9.38x10-02 mg/kg bw/day) consumer remains safe at the same scenario. The result confirmed that cooking has significant effect to reduction of formalin. Therefore, probabilistic quantitative risk assessment of formalin treated fish could provide important risk information to the risk manager (government), whether the population is at risk or not? The result could be applied to establish effective risk management strategy in Bangladesh

Ichthyofaunal diversity of Basurabad Beel in regards with threat factors and conservation measures, Bangladesh

The present study was conducted to assess the temporal distribution of ichthyofaunal composition of Basurabad beel in Khulna, Bangladesh and investigated the fish biodiversity and core threats to biodiversity to provide recommendations for conservation in the beel. During the study period, total 33 fish species were recorded belonging to 6 orders. The order wise fish species availability was maximum in Perciformes (39.40%) and minimum in Beloniformis (3%). The value of Shannon-Weaver diversity index was found higher in Fultola (1.19±0.41) and lowest in Basurabad (0.68±0.17) while the maximum value of Margalef richness index found in Basurabad (1.12±0.35) and lowest in Debitola (0.68±0.34). The value of Pielou’s evenness index was higher in Boroitola (0.61±0.20) and lowest in Basurabad (0.31±0.16) however the Pielou’s index showed an uneven distribution of fish species in the Basurabad sampling point.  The value of Simpson dominance index was higher in Fultola (0.58±0.10) and lowest in Kishmath-Fultola (0.39±0.16). Ten different kinds of fishing gears were identified under 5 major groups in the beel. Among all the gears operated, seine net (Jagat Ber Jal) had the highest catch 31.3±4.1 CC/haul/day/gear (kg) followed by current jal 10.5±2.5 CC/haul/day/gear (kg). This study suggests that comprehensive studies on fisheries biology including reproductive biology, growth, stock assessment and their association with existing laws are essential for the sustainable management and conservation of fish species in the Basurabad beel

Nutritional Profiling of Wild (Pangasius pangasius) and Farmed (Pangasius hypophthalmus) Pangasius Catfish with Implications to Human Health

publishedVersio

Improvement of properties of edible film based on gelatin from cuttlefish (Sepia pharamois) skin

Thesis (Ph.D., Food Science and Technology)--Prince of Songkla University, 201

Evaluation of occupational health management status and safety issues of the small-scale fisheries sector in Bangladesh

Background: Small-scale fishing is one of the most precarious occupations, with high rates of threats and hazards. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the health hazards and safety issues of fishers involved in small-scale fisheries (SSF).Materials and methods: Fifty SSF fishers (n = 50) were surveyed by using a pre-tested questionnaire between October 2019 and March 2020 at the lower Meghna River in the northern tip of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh.Results: Results revealed that 56% of SSF fishermen belong to a nuclear family, and 42% completed primary education. Forty per cent had an annual income of between 1,000 and 1,500 USD. Seventy-six per cent of fishermen were found to suffer from fever, and 72%, and 60% from diarrhoea and skin diseases over the last 5 years (2015–2020), respectively. During fishing, 78% of fishermen also suffered from red-eye problems, dizziness, and headache, and 68% struggled with musculoskeletal complaints during the last 5 years. Extreme cyclonic occurrences and sudden storms were experienced by 66% and 32% of fishermen, respectively, during the last 5 years. Local pharmacies were visited by 46% of fishermen for treatment due to ease of access. Sixty-four per cent of participants applied their local indigenous knowledge to treat health-related problems. Twenty-eight per cent and 32% of fishermen used a first aid box and stored medicine on board, respectively.Conclusions: Most of the fishers are in great risk of medium- to high-range danger while fishing in the SSF sector in Bangladesh. Many countries have developed protocols for safe and responsible fishing. In Bangladesh, adequate attention is needed for the sustainable development of the SSF sector

Can Bangladeshi pangasius farmers comply with the requirements of aquaculture certification?

Globally, Bangladesh is the fifth largest aquaculture producer, with pangasius (Pangasianodon hypopthalamus) contributing 18 % of the total aquaculture production. This production is characterized by unregulated farming practices, domestic trade without value addition, product development, or export. In this paper, the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) framework of the FAO was used to assess the competency of Bangladeshi pangasius farmers by comparing their practices with the indicators of farming practices prescribed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). A survey of 150 farmers was undertaken that investigated the SAFA dimensions of good governance, environmental integrity, production and economics, and social well-being. Of 57 indicators, only 35 % were met at the best/good level, most of which occurred in the production and economic (47 %) and environmental dimension (40 %) and the least in the social dimension (29 %). Therefore, improvement of farming practices in all of the SAFA dimensions is required, with social and environmental dimensions demanding the most attention. Aquaculture certification for Bangladeshi pangasius farmers also requires improvements in legal frameworks and the involvement of value chain actors. Under a research and development initiative, one method to improve compliance is to develop a best practices approach for cluster agribusiness cooperation in farmer groups that have to be contractually bound to processing plants. This can spread and make sale at the potential international whitefish market

Dried fish more prone to microplastics contamination over fresh fish – Higher potential of trophic transfer to human body

Globally, microplastics (MPs) contamination in aquatic organisms is emerging as an alarming phenomenon. In the present study, we investigated MPs in three commercially important fishes (Bombay duck Harpadon nehereus, ribbon fish Trichiurus lepturus and hairfin anchovy Setipinna phasa) in fresh and dried conditions collected from two sites (Chattogram and Kuakata) of the Bay of Bengal. It was evident that fresh T. lepturus ingested highest amount of MPs through the gills (6.41 mps/g) from Chattogram followed by in the gastrointestinal tract, GIT (6.20 mps/g) and in the muscle (1.20 mps/g) from Kuakata. Among the fresh fishes, H. nehereus from Kuakata accumulated highest amount of MPs (0.21 mps/g), while S. phasa from Kuakata contained the least amount of MPs (0.06 mps/g). On the other hand, among the dried fishes, T. lepturus from Kuakata contained highest amount of MPs (46.00 mps/g), while S. phasa from Kuakata retained lowest amount of MPs (2.17 mps/g). Strangely, all the dried fishes showed significantly higher amount of MPs compared to fresh fishes from both the locations. Fiber was the most dominant type of shape of MPs which accounted 66 %, followed by fragment (27.38 %), microbeads (3.59 %), film (1.48 %), foam (1.31 %) and pellet (0.25 %). Size-wise, the major portion (39.66 %) of MPs was present to be in size range less than 0.5 mm followed by 37.67 % in the size range of 0.5–1.0 mm group and rest 22.67 % within 1.0–5.0 mm. Red (41.55 %) colored MPs was the most prominent, followed by brown (22.11 %), blue (16.32 %), pink (11.69 %), purple (5.10 %), and green (2.25 %). Among polymer types, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was the most common (38 %), followed by polystyrene (PS-22 %), polyvinyl chloride (PVC-16 %), polyamide (PA-13 %) and ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA-9 %). The present study confirms high occurrence of MPs in the dried fishes over the fresh fishes from the Bay of Bengal, with high potential of trophic transfer to the human body

Prospects and challenges of yellow flesh pangasius in international markets:secondary and primary evidence from Bangladesh

The projected increase in aquaculture production by 2030 will mostly occur in countries of Asia and Africa, including Bangladesh. The pangasius (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) produced in Bangladesh, the second-largest producer globally, is mainly consumed by low-income domestic consumers and is poorly demanded in international markets. One reason for this is the yellow flesh of fish; consumers generally in mainstream international markets prefer to fish with white flesh. Reviewing secondary evidence and analyzing primary data, this article assesses the underlying reasons for the discolored pangasius flesh in Bangladesh and synthesizes strategies for avoiding discoloration to induce exports. The findings indicate that farming practices with high stocking density, infrequent water exchange, high organic matter in pond water, and the growth of carotenoid-containing cyanobacteria contribute to the discoloration of pangasius flesh. Artificial and natural pigments in feed and poor post-harvest handling of fish are also contributing factors. Furthermore, a positive correlation between water exchange, price, and yield at the farm is found, which indicates that farm-gate price and yield per hectare can increase with more frequent water exchange. The findings of this study provide strong evidence that improved aquaculture practices can solve the problem of discolored pangasius flesh and establish an export-oriented pangasius industry in Bangladesh