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Peru Urges Fresh-Fish Checks as Holy Week Demand Surges and Coastal Waves Squeeze Supply

Verifying the updated national freshness standard helps prevent foodborne illness during peak purchases.

Overview

  • Holy Week in Peru drives a sharp jump in fish buying, with Produce reporting about 9,050 tonnes consumed in 2025 as a recent benchmark.
  • Inacal is asking shoppers to confirm that products meet the revised NTP 041.001:2019 freshness rule to ensure quality and safety.
  • Simple checks include a mild smell, shiny moist skin, clear bright eyes, red gills, and firm elastic flesh.
  • Officials advise choosing fish kept near 0 °C in clean, authorized points of sale to lower the risk of contamination.
  • Anomalous ocean waves have curtailed recent catches, which has tightened supply and raised the risk of lower-quality fish and local price pressure, with markets reporting higher sales and bonito seen at 4 soles per kilo in Comas.