[ 2017-02-28 ]

‘Koobi’ sellers threaten naked demo over formalin claims
Some market women who trade in dried tilapia
popularly known as ‘Koobi’ are threatening to
stage a naked demonstration if “false” reports
that the fish is preserved with a cancer-causing
substance, formalin, are not stopped.

Formalin, which is a chemical used to prevent dead
bodies from decomposing, is allegedly being used
by the traders to preserve the fish; thus making
it stiff, have a rubbery feel, clear eyes, red
gills and take away its odour as well as drive
away flies.

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology
and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng,
made this known 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, therefore, cautioned those
involved in the act to desist from it since it was
dangerous to human health.

But some women who trade in Koobi are livid about
the reports. They claim that the reports are false
and baseless and have the tendency to collapse
their business.

“If they like they should come to this market
and take our Koobi to the laboratory to go and
test and see whether it is true if we are using
chemicals or not,” a market woman who has been
dealing in Koobi since 1979 said.

She added “I am sending this message to the
minister to ban that message going around…if
they don’t stop spreading those messages, we
would stage a very big demonstration, all the
women will be naked.”

Source - Starrfmonline.com

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