Ban of De-frozen Fish not out of Food Safety Concerns, due to Commercial Fraud, Says ADFCA
Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) has stressed that the de-frozen fish sold in some outlets may be fit for consumption. They may not pose any harm to the consumers and the decision to ban the sale of de-frozen fish was taken by ADFCA with the objective of preempting commercial fraud such as selling such fish as fresh," the Authority clarified.
Mohamed Abdullah Al Fardan, Acting Director of Communication and Community Service at ADFCA, said that de-freezing fish was previously permitted. "But our inspectors noticed fraudulent activities, necessitating the sale of such fish for reasons concerning quality and price and not due to food safety issues," he clarified.
Al Fardan said that ADFCA inspectors were conducting intensive inspections at fish outlets in Abu Dhabi to check the quality of fish being sold. "They noticed many instances of de-frozen fish being mixed with fresh fish and sold. However, they found the de-frozen fish thus sold were indeed fit for human consumption. But action was taken in view of the fraud involved in the process, resulting in the ban of selling de-frozen fish.
Al Fardan clarified that fish-carrying vehicles coming from the other emirates rarely included de-frozen fish and if found, they would be immediately disposed off and stringent action taken. "Inspectors are at work at all times in the fish markets in Abu Dhabi throughout the week. Regular and surprise inspections will continue to be carried out to prevent illegal activities," he added.
