Large-sized golda and bagda shrimp command higher prices in the market, but an unscrupulous group is exploiting that demand by injecting jelly into the heads and soft parts of shrimp to increase their weight before selling them in Feni.
In recent months, multiple raids at Feni Municipal Fish Market and the town’s Boro Bazar have uncovered jelly-injected shrimp, leading to seizures and fines for traders. In the latest operations, 140kg of jelly-injected golda shrimp were seized from two fish wholesalers in the town, while traders were fined more than Tk50,000.
Earlier in May, four traders were fined Tk1 lakh and around 28kg of jelly-mixed shrimp were destroyed following a raid at Boro Bazar.
The repeated discoveries have raised questions over whether occasional market raids and fines are enough to stop the practice. Local consumers allege that although authorities conduct drives from time to time, there has been little visible action against the source of the adulteration.
As a result, such shrimp continue to move from one wholesale market to another and eventually reach retail markets across the district.
Jelly injected to increase weight
According to sources at Feni Municipal Fish Market, large shrimp arrive in the district every day from different parts of the south-western region, including Khulna, Bagerhat and Satkhira.
Trucks carrying shrimp unload their consignments at dawn, after which the fish are supplied to Boro Bazar, Railgate Market and other markets across the district.
People involved in the wholesale trade said jelly injection is more common in large shrimp, especially those where 10 to 15 pieces make up one kilogram. Since such shrimp fetch higher prices, even a small increase in weight brings additional profit for sellers.
They said an adhesive substance is prepared using silica powder and other ingredients and then injected into the shrimp’s head or soft body parts using syringes.
According to traders familiar with the practice, the process can add around 200 to 250 grams of extra weight per kilogram of shrimp.
This means a consumer buying shrimp at Tk1,000 per kg may be paying for a portion of a substance that is not part of the fish naturally.
Consumer complaint leads to raid
The issue came to light after an expatriate consumer detected jelly inside shrimp purchased from Feni Boro Bazar.
The consumer bought 2kg of shrimp at around Tk1,200 per kg. After taking them home, he found an unusual jelly-like substance inside the heads and bodies of the shrimp and later took the fish to the deputy commissioner’s office.
Following the complaint, authorities conducted a market raid and found jelly in shrimp kept for sale. Four traders — Kiran, Dipak, Ali Hossain and Hanif — were fined a total of Tk1 lakh. Around 28kg to 30kg of jelly-injected shrimp were seized and destroyed.
On 20 June, another raid at Feni Municipal Fish Market led to the seizure of around 80kg of jelly-injected golda shrimp from Bangladesh Fishing, which was fined Tk40,000.
Most recently, on 6 August, an upazila administration-led drive at the same market seized 38kg of jelly-mixed shrimp from a shop named Mayer Doa Fishing.
Similar incidents have also been reported in other shrimp-producing and marketing areas. In July, an operation in Satkhira seized and destroyed 260kg of jelly-injected shrimp.
Health concerns over adulterated shrimp
The biggest concern surrounding jelly-injected shrimp is public health. Injecting unauthorised substances or adulterants into food products is considered a serious violation of food safety standards.
Food and nutrition experts said mixing foreign substances into shrimp could create complications affecting the kidneys, liver and digestive system.
Feni medicine, cardiology and respiratory disease specialist Khaled Mahmud Tipu said he had heard about jelly being injected into shrimp heads and bodies.
He said consumption of chemically contaminated shrimp could cause digestive problems, reduced kidney function and liver inflammation. Long-term consumption of such food may pose serious health risks, he added, advising consumers to avoid jelly-mixed shrimp.
However, experts said it would require scientific tests on the specific chemicals, quantities and long-term toxicity before concluding that jelly-injected shrimp directly cause cancer. The possible risks, they said, should be assessed carefully.
Action needed at source
Feni Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer (Parshuram) Syed Mostafa Zaman said jelly is not injected into shrimp farms in Feni.
“The practice takes place in areas where shrimp are processed, and dishonest groups later send those shrimp to markets in different districts,” he said.
He said the fisheries department has conducted several drives, seized adulterated shrimp and fined sellers to prevent the sale of such products.
Consumer rights activists, however, said action only at retail markets would not solve the problem.
They said authorities must identify those injecting jelly into shrimp and the suppliers transporting such fish to different districts.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Feni district President Advocate Parthapal Chowdhury said jelly-mixed shrimp arrive in Feni from different districts every day.
“Although the administration occasionally conducts market raids, there is no permanent solution because action is not being taken at the source,” he said.
He called for regular discussions with wholesalers and traders to raise awareness and urged authorities to take strict legal action if irregularities continue.
Administration promises tougher action
Feni Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sultana Nasrin Kanta said the sale of jelly-injected shrimp in Feni markets is a genuine concern for the administration.
“Operations are continuing to stop the storage and sale of jelly-mixed shrimp. We will soon hold discussions with wholesalers in consultation with the fisheries department,” she said.
She warned that tougher action would be taken if the problem is not resolved and no one would be spared.
How to identify jelly-injected shrimp
Jelly-injected shrimp are not always easy to identify from outside. However, consumers should remain cautious if shrimp appear unusually heavy or if there are abnormal gaps, jelly-like substances or unusual textures around the head and body.
If such substances are found after purchase, consumers are advised not to eat the shrimp and to inform the relevant authorities or consumer rights protection officials.
The issue is not only about financial loss but also consumer trust and food safety. Injecting hundreds of grams of jelly into one kilogram of shrimp and charging consumers for that extra weight is not merely adulteration — it is direct fraud.
The repeated detection of jelly-injected shrimp in Feni markets has now raised a key question: will enforcement remain limited to a few sellers, or will authorities investigate the supply chain and identify the networks behind the practice?
Consumers say coordinated action by the fisheries department, food safety authorities, consumer rights protection officials and local administration is needed to effectively control the deception.
