Summer may be considered a season of fruits, but with its onset comes the danger of ingesting fruits that have been artificially ripened using banned carcinogenic compounds. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has stepped in to intensify inspections and carry out special enforcement drives to curb the illegal use of non-permitted fruit ripening agents, as well as colouring and coating of fruits with synthetic colours or non-permitted wax, a statement released by the regulator on Tuesday said.
Consequently, the commissioners of food safety of all states/UTs and regional directors of FSSAI have been requested to maintain strict vigilance over fruit markets and mandis to curb illegal use of fruit ripening using agents like calcium carbide, commonly known as ‘masala’.
Inspection of godowns and storage facilities, particularly those suspected of using substances like calcium carbide for ripening, may be carried out and the presence of such substances on the premises or stored alongside crates of fruits will be treated as circumstantial evidence against the Food Business Operator (FBO), potentially leading to prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006, the statement added.
Calcium carbide is strictly prohibited for the artificial ripening of fruits under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
“The use of this substance poses serious health risks and is known to cause mouth ulcers, gastric irritation and has carcinogenic properties,” the regulator pointed out.
Further, FSSAI has also identified cases where FBOs are using ethephon solution to artificially ripen bananas and other fruits by dipping them directly into the chemical. In this context, the Authority has issued a comprehensive guidance document, titled, “Artificial Ripening of Fruits - Ethylene Gas: A Safe Fruit Ripener”.
The document clearly states that ethephon could be used only as a source for generating ethylene gas and strictly in accordance with the prescribed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
This SOP details all critical aspects of artificial ripening using ethylene gas, including restrictions, chamber requirements, handling conditions, sources of ethylene gas, application protocols, post-treatment operations, and safety guidelines.
Urging all food business operators to adhere to the SOPs, the regulator has warned that any violation of these norms will attract strict penal action.
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