Carcinogen Found in China-Sourced Fish

“Malachite green,” a carcinogen, has been continually found in a number of imported marine products, including flatfish, from China. Government officials are paying close attention to this issue.

According to the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the National Fisheries Products Quality Inspection Service (NFPQIS) inspectors yesterday, this year alone, nine cases of Malachite green have been detected so far in a total of 40 tons of imported live fish from China. All the fish were returned to China or destroyed.

Malachite green was discovered in six cases of flat fish (30 tons), one case of Mori (1.5 tons), one case of perch (5.5 tons), and one case of snakehead fish (3.3 tons).

In January, it was confirmed that five tons of frozen giant tiger prawn meat imported from Thailand contained Malachite green. All of the contaminated products were returned to the country.

Recently, Malachite green was discovered in the some of imported frozen eels which were already being distributed illegally in the market.

Since the Korean government confirmed poisonous Chinese fish last year, it has never detected Malachite green in carrying out a periodical inspection.

An official of the ministry said, “Since the confirmation of cancer-causing chemical in fish from China last year, the government has asked China to strengthen related regulations. China has done so. But China seems to have few ways to fully investigate all types of fish because the area which produces fish is wide and there are too many fish that should be tested in China,”