Crackdown on artificially ripened fruits

A team of 10 officials from the Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department conducted a surprise raid at scores of shops in the sprawling market in the early hours of Tuesday, and seized tonnes of mangoes, papayas and other fruits that were kept ready to be chemically ripened.

Officials said that the peak mango arrival season has paved the way for traders to ripen the fruits chemically. The team found traders using carbide stones and chemical sprayers in the shops, and warned stringent action against all traders who indulged in chemical ripening, which can have adverse impact on consumers’ health.

“Based on a tip-off, we reached the spot early in morning. We had the cooperation of the officials from Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the members of the Marketing Management Committee of the Koyambedu market,” said A Sathasivam, a food safety official. He added that the team raided 23 fruit wholesale fruits shops and found three of them using calcium carbide and sprayers.

“We seized two tonnes of papayas, which had carbide stones, and 800 kg of mangoes that were being artificially ripened. We also confiscated 15 kg of calcium carbide stones and 1.5 kg of ethylene powder from them,” said P Manimaran, another official, adding that they disposed them of at bio-methanisation plant in Koyambedu. 

Following the raid, the CMDA officials closed one shop, while owner of another shop is absconding.

The officials warned of stern actions against wholesale traders who sell such fruits. “We will continue our inspection at Koyambedu market, as traders flout the norms and are using hazardous chemicals to ripen the fruits,” said an official.

Meanwhile, CMDA officials have instructed the traders not to sell such kind of fruits. “Because this is summer time, the fruit market in the complex is receiving more than 200 tonnes of fruits per day. We too are advisingthem not to use chemicals for any kind of fruits,” said a CMDA official.