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1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 202540Formalin Contamination in Seafood and Frozen Meat Imported into Timor-LesteAcacio C. Amaral1,2,*, Rui D. de Carvalho2, Stefany S. A. Fernandez3, Graciano S. Gomes4, Louren%u00e7a Mendon%u00e7a51Department of Animal Production, Escola Superior Agronomia e Zoot%u00e9cnica (ESAZ), Instituto Polit%u00e9cnico de Betano (IPB), Timor-Leste2Department of Animal Health, Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL), Timor-Leste3Department of Pharmacy, Politeknik Kesehatan Kementerian Kesehatan, Kupang, Indonesia 4Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa'e (UNTL), Timor-Leste 5Health5Health Financing Unit (HFU), Ministry of Health, Timor-Leste*Corresponding author: amaral.acacio@gmail.comAbstractStudies were carried out to detect formalin contamination and the levels of formalin contamination in imported seafood, frozen meat, and a few locally produced foods. One hundred and twenty-one (121) imported seafood and frozen meat samples from supermarkets situated within Dili city were purchased and tested using Colorimetric determination with a color card and sliding comparator. Formalin was detected in all the supermarkets surveyed and also in the locally produced seafood. Meat and fish are contaminated at different levels. The highest contamination (50%) was found in fish with 13 positive samples with a contamination level of 2.25 mg/kg to 25.5 mg/kg. The second highest (23.1%) level of formalin contamination was found in chicken with 6 samples positive with different levels of contamination varied between 0.9 mg/kg to 9 mg/kg. The third most contaminated with formalin was detected in prawn/shrimp with 3 samples positive at different levels of contamination varied between 2.25 mg/kg to 13.50 mg/kg. The level of contamination is mostly above the maximum limit of 5 mg/kg and poses a threat to public health in Timor-Leste. Keywords: Formaldehyde, Formalin, Fish, Meat, seafood.