Rampant use of ethylene for ripening fruits

Vijayawada: Use of ethylene powder for artificial ripening of fruits particularly mangoes became rampant in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district. Earlier, the traders used calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits.

But now, the traders stopped use of carbide for artificial ripening of fruits particularly the mangoes and bananas as the vigilance and enforcement department and food safety departments intensified raids on the fruit markets and booking cases against them.

Natural ripening of fruits is a lengthy process and it takes a few weeks. But artificial ripening takes less than five days. The traders say that use of ethylene powder and gas for artificial ripening of fruits is permitted by the government. But the officials of the food safety department made it clear that use of ethylene powder for artificial ripening is unlawful and cases would be booked against the traders.

The officials of the department of food safety and vigilance and enforcement conducted raids on the wholesale fruit market in Kedareswara Pet recently and collected 20 samples for the laboratory tests. They suspected ethylene powder or gas has been used for artificial ripening of fruits.

Assistant food controller of department of food safety N Purnachandra Rao told The Hans India that 20 samples were sent to lab tests and they would get the report very soon. He said most of the traders are using the powder imported from China for artificial ripening of fruits.

He said the department sent the powder for lab tests to State Food Laboratory at Nacharam in Hyderabad and been trying to know the ingredients of the chemical powder used by traders for artificial ripening of fruits. He further stated the powder packets have no label and information about the manufacturer and the ingredient it contain.

Purnachandra Rao said consumption of fruits ripened with chemicals is harmful to the health and will lead to cancer, ulcer, gastric problems or organ failure.

He said the department so far booked 70 cases on the traders of the fruit market in Kedareswara Pet in recent years for use of chemicals for artificial ripening of fruits. He said shortage of staff is the biggest problem being faced by the department to conduct more raids on the shops and markets.

Mango traders are facing many problems to sell the green unripe mangoes because the customers are reluctant to buy them. Due to unavoidable circumstances, the traders are using some chemicals for ripening, said K Sudhakar, a mango trader in the city.

Artificial fruit ripening chambers have no demand in the city as the traders are not willing to use it because it is expensive. The traders have to pay Rs 1 to Rs 1.50 per kg mangoes to the owners of the chambers for ripening fruits and it will take four days for it.

On the other hand, ripening of mangoes with ethylene powder, gas or China powder is very cheap and easy. So, most traders opt for China powder, said R Vijay Paul, DSP, the vigilance and enforcement department. He told The Hans India that most traders in Vijayawada city stopped using calcium carbide for ripening of fruits.

He said using of China powder has become normal practice among the traders for ripening of fruits. He further stated that Rs 50 lakh worth mangoes were seized and destroyed by the department on May 9 in Gudivada and Machilipatnam for using carbide and other powder for artificial ripening of fruits.

By Md Ameen