The Food Safety department on Friday seized 50 kg each of artificially ripened mangoes and bananas from godowns near the Goubert Market. A team led by S.D. Balakrishnan, Designated Officer of the Food Safety Department who participated in the early morning raids on 20 shops, said that six shops had stocked artificially ripened mangoes and bananas.
The fruits were seized and would be destroyed at a site near the Food and Drug Testing lab in Gorimedu. The team seized an ethylene sachet used to ripen the fruits. The sachet was placed in a basket containing mangoes.
According to Mr. Balakrishnan, ethylene sachets were now used to ripen the fruits quickly. Only permissible level of ethylene gases in special ripening chambers was allowed by the government.
The indiscriminate use of ethylene and carbide for artificial ripening of fruits could cause health problems.
Short shelf-life
The fruits had a shorter shelf-life and were inferior in taste and flavour.
Artificially ripened mangoes could be easily identified through a careful examination of the fruit. The fruits, when cut open, would be less juicy than the naturally ripened ones. On the other hand, naturally ripened fruits would have good aroma and natural colour.
The team found traces of carbide powder on the fruits and samples were taken from 13 shops located on Rangapillai Street and Bharathi Street. The samples would be tested at the Food and Drug Testing lab in Gorimedu. Notices would be sent to the shops which had used artificial ripening agents, he said.
