Fishy imports ‘may not be safe to eat’

HEALTH watchdogs have seized more than 40kg of what they suspect is illegally imported dried fish from 40 grocers in Oldham.

And residents are being warned not to eat the produce due to fears over its safety.

Environmental Health officers swooped on stores as part on a crackdown on the traditional Bangladeshi delicacy, which can sell for £25 a fish.

Similar finds at a shop in Salford were traced back to an Oldham store.

Officers visited all known suppliers in Oldham last week, concerned that the fish was unlabelled or poorly labelled.

They is no way of tracing where it has originated from — or whether it is safe to eat.

Fish was seized from six premises and will be destroyed unless the businesses can provide evidence that it has come from a country approved for import.

Graham Boundy, environmental health manager, said: “There is no way of us being able to trace the fish as it has no documentation to say where it has come from. The fish are quite expensive and selling for around £25 for a foot-long specimen.

“As a precaution, we would recommend that people do not eat the fish as we don’t know whether it has been produced safely.”

Councillor Mark Alcock, cabinet member for Environment and Infrastructure, said: “The council does not take this kind of action lightly and recognises the financial impact this will have on the businesses concerned.

“However, it was essential that the council took action in order to protect public health.”

If anyone has purchased dried fish in unlabelled packaging they are asked to contact the Environmental Health Service for advice on 0161 770 3447.