“Nobody wants to get into trouble just for using one ingredient in their food,” said chef Pratik Deshmukh of The Oberoi New Delhi. Many among the five star hotels, such as the Oberoi, Taj ITC and the JW Marriott have stopped serving the fish across the country. ‘I’ll sell it, but won’t eat it’īig hotels in India have completely moved away from serving Basa, ThePrint has learnt. In 2005, the Consumer Association of Canada also expressed concerns over fishes imported from Vietnam as laboratory tests showed the presence of a banned form of fungicide in the fishes. In 2007, the US Food and Drug Administration banned the import of the several fish, including the Vietnamese Basa. Because of its natural tendency of survival, and the ability to absorb nutrients even from contaminated waters, it poses a greater risk of hosting toxins in its body. Worth the risk?īasa ( Pangasius bocourti), which is largely grown in Mekong delta, is found to be infested with unsafe drugs, many of which are carcinogenic in nature, say reports.īasa is a particular variety of catfish that can survive extreme conditions, unlike other varieties. Local fish such as pomfret and king fish cost somewhere between Rs 550-570 a kilo, but the same quantity of imported Basa is available at Rs 240-250. However, the only attractive thing about the fish today is its cheap price. Since it’s also available all year round, it is the choice for many restaurants. Cheap factorīasa was once popular due to its appearance and a greater yield (the amount of meat obtained after deboning and cleaning). Moreover, it is bereft of any fishy stench and has a greater adaptability to flavours and cooking methods.Īlso read: Kerala firm accused of skirting ban to kill endangered sharks Today, the popularity of the exotic fish seems to have taken a backseat, with reports surfacing about its contamination.

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