Officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department raided fruit godowns in Gandhi Market area here on Monday and seized one tonne of mangoes which were being artificially ripened using carbide stones.
Acting on a complaint, a team led by Designated Officer A. Ramakrishnan and Food Safety Officers raided 12 godowns and seized 1.5 kg of carbide stones kept in one of the godowns.
The carbide stones were kept in the godown ahead of stocking mangoes which were expected to arrive on Monday night, Dr. Ramakrishnan said. The team raided another godown and seized one tonne of mangoes which were ripened using carbide stones kept in several packets. The seized mangoes were destroyed later in the Ariyamangalam compost yard. Dr. Ramakrishnan said a Food Safety Officer had been asked to regularly monitor the godowns in view of the heavy arrival of mangoes in the next few days to check artificial ripening of the fruit.
Carbide stones are used to induce ripening and for better appearance, he said and added that consumption of artificially-ripened mangoes would pose health-related problems.
