Infested fish do not pose danger to human health if properly processed, which implies that they should either be frozen for more than 24 hours at -18 degrees Celsius or thermally processed, for at least one minute, at +60 degrees Celsius. However, it is inadmissible for the infested fish, regardless of the degree of infestation, to be distributed in schools, preschools and other social institutions. Opinions in this regard were expressed during a meeting organized by the National Agency for Food Safety.
Elena Malai, ANSA deputy director, said that following the verifications carried out by inspectors at social institutions, including schools, several irregularities were detected. Products are delivered and received in the absence of origin documents. Some products have incorrect labels, while the frozen fish has altered organoleptic indicators when thawed. Inspectors detected over 250 kg of infested fish, over 100 non-compliant food products and altered eggs. According to ANSA deputy director, the most affected fish is cod, herring and mackerel. Most of it comes from Spain, Norway and Ireland.
According to Ștefan Rusu, head of the Laboratory of Parasitology and Helmintology, Institute of Zoology, the parasite contained in fish is called Anisakis and the disease that it can cause is called anisakidosis, which causes allergic reactions. According to Ștefan Rusu, the parasite is resistant to saline environments, but is sensitive to the low temperature and thermal processing. 90% of the existing fish in nature is infested with this parasite.
The specialists said that importers must ensure that the fish comes from authorized establishments, must ensure the traceability of the fish and should inform buyers if the fish has parasites. In case the fish is infested, it can be marketed under certain conditions. It must be processed and cleaned, so that the parasites are eliminated.
Roman Vengher, the head of the Municipal Department for Food Safety in Chișinău, issued recommendations to importers to develop self-monitoring programs for fish, which is a measure provided by law. Roman Vengher added that the most frequent deviations are found in the food batches of educational institutions where the correct handling of the product is not ensured.
A fish importer representative said that by publicizing the subject, the monopolization of the fish market is attempted. He said that the prices for customs clearance for fish import are high. As a result businesses are unable to pay. Additionally, according to the economic agent, no state institution is correctly handling fish, however, the economic agent who delivered the product gets the blamed. The representative added that other countries certify and market parasitic fish, yet it is not clear whether these certificates are also recognized in Moldova.
Following the discussions, ANSA representatives expect "fish quality regulations" from the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and the Environment. Additionally, ANSA said that it will review the fish sampling method. The institution issued recommendations to producers and importers to inform consumers about the existence of parasites in the product.
Prime Minister Maia Sandu announced two weeks ago that 73 batches of frozen fish, out of 124 imported into the Republic of Moldova between August 20 and October 4, have been found to be infested with parasites. According to the prime minister, the Republican Veterinary and Diagnostic Centre did not inform ANSA about the detected irregularities during laboratory checks, thus veterinary certificates with import rights were issued for non-compliant batches. The fish was distributed to social and educational institutions. Afterwards, ANSA opened an internal investigation which led to the suspension from office of the head of the Republican Veterinary and Diagnostic Centre.
