The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has taken action against eight canned fish brands where the percentage of arsenic content in them allegedly exceeds the prescribed amount following an investigation carried out by the Puttalam District CAA officials on December 14 and thereafter.
The sources said five leading institutions which import canned fish and another three leading institutions which import fish and can them locally have been taken to court.
The locally manufactured and imported canned fish should comply with SLSI 591 standard. According to the SLSI standards, the maximum arsenic to be contained in a kilogram of canned fish should be one milligram.
Investigations carried out by the CAA have revealed that the percentage of arsenic content in those canned fish brands exceeds the prescribed amount.
Further investigations are being conducted by the Puttalam district CAA to check the standard of the other brands of canned fish.