Food Safety and Drug Administration Department's food wing officials on Wednesday seized nearly three-and-half tonnes of chickoo (sapota), which had been artificially ripened.
According to sources, officials led by Designated Officer R. Kathiravan, following a tip off, raided two shops on Karuppa Gounder Street and seized two tonnes from the first shop and one-and-half tonnes from the second shop.
They said officials carried out the raids based on instructions from the Collector.
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The sources said that they found the fruit shop owners using carbide stones to ripen the chickoos. The owners had placed the stones at the bottom of the plastic trays.
The officials took the fruits to the Corporation's dump yard in Vellalore, crushed and buried them. They warned the owners with legal action if caught using the stones.
Doctors said that consumption of fruits ripened using carbide stones would cause gastritis, dysentery and problems in the intestine.
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