Vendors welcome nod to ripen fruits with ethylene sachets

Two methods of ripening fruits, which have been approved, are dipping sachets of the chemical in water and placing them in a perforated, closed box; another is through ripening chambers.

The president of the association, S Srinivasan, commented on the change by stating, “We are using the readymade sachets of ethylene to ripen fruits. When a load arrives, we divide them in 20 kg piles and place them in huge crates, before which we place chemical sachets at the bottom,” he said. It usually takes 24 hours for this process, after which the sachets are disposed of in the garbage.

“While the chemical in a gaseous form has been approved, there is still a ban on directly applying the chemical via liquid (spray) or powder form on the fruits,” stated a food safety official. “Initially, vendors would buy ethylene powder in loose, wrap small amounts in a cloth or a piece of paper and place it in between the fruits to ripen. However, these would get blown by the wind and settle on the fruits, which would cause consumers to fall ill,” recalled Srinivasan.

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Using chemicals to artificially ripen fruits still has its downside. “This is due to the contra-indication that ethylene has. If vendors don’t use it in the right quantity, method and temperature, it can affect their health — breathing these gases for long can be harmful,” explained the official. To prevent this, vendors must follow safety standards recommended by the FSSAI such as using proper masks and ensuring the ripening chambers are well-ventilated. When asked how many such certified chambers — private and government-run — are there in the city, she said, “I have to find out because I don’t have the figures right now. During every fruiting season, vendors ask the government to construct safe, ripening chambers but I don’t see any implementation.”