TNN | Sep 14, 2015, 02.44 AM IST
Panaji: In recent raids conducted by officials from the food and drugs administration (FDA), adulterated mava and curd worth 5 lakh, meant for Ganesh Chaturthi sweets, have been seized from various locations across Goa. But FDA's ordeal doesn't just end there. With the festival just around the corner, a number of artificially ripened fruits have been found in the local markets.
Requesting anonymity, a fruit vendor from Panaji market said, "Artificial ripening is done, perhaps out of desperation, as some fruit sellers have targets to achieve. This is usually done in godowns, even before the fruits hit the local market."
FDA informed that godowns in Mapusa, Ponda and Margao are common sites which execute this activity. "The fruits are enhanced using chemicals like calcium carbide and ethyl, consumption of which can be hazardous to health," informed FDA Goa, director, Salim Veljee. "FDA is making all necessary efforts to catch the offenders red-handed," he added.
Sharing his thoughts on the issue, The Goa state horticultural corporation ltd (GSHCL), managing director, Larry Baretto, said, "We always insist on our suppliers not artificially ripening their fruits because this is unhealthy and illegal." He further added that only bananas can be speedily ripened by a unique bake process which is considered to be organic.
When asked how locals can distinguish between naturally and artificially ripened fruits, he said that there are no means to ascertain the same. "We don't have any mechanism to determine that a particular fruit has been artificially ripened just by looking at it, thus there is very little one can do," Baretto said.
Oncologist Dr Shekhar Salkar opined that washing fruits well can help to some extent. "All carbides are harmful and calcium carbide is a cancer-causing chemical. The fruits available in the market are so convincing that it is difficult to figure it out which is naturally ripened and which is not. But washing them well before consumption can help lower the risk," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Govt-No-mechanism-to-spot-artificially-ripened-fruit/articleshow/48949464.cms
Panaji: In recent raids conducted by officials from the food and drugs administration (FDA), adulterated mava and curd worth 5 lakh, meant for Ganesh Chaturthi sweets, have been seized from various locations across Goa. But FDA's ordeal doesn't just end there. With the festival just around the corner, a number of artificially ripened fruits have been found in the local markets.
Requesting anonymity, a fruit vendor from Panaji market said, "Artificial ripening is done, perhaps out of desperation, as some fruit sellers have targets to achieve. This is usually done in godowns, even before the fruits hit the local market."
FDA informed that godowns in Mapusa, Ponda and Margao are common sites which execute this activity. "The fruits are enhanced using chemicals like calcium carbide and ethyl, consumption of which can be hazardous to health," informed FDA Goa, director, Salim Veljee. "FDA is making all necessary efforts to catch the offenders red-handed," he added.
Sharing his thoughts on the issue, The Goa state horticultural corporation ltd (GSHCL), managing director, Larry Baretto, said, "We always insist on our suppliers not artificially ripening their fruits because this is unhealthy and illegal." He further added that only bananas can be speedily ripened by a unique bake process which is considered to be organic.
When asked how locals can distinguish between naturally and artificially ripened fruits, he said that there are no means to ascertain the same. "We don't have any mechanism to determine that a particular fruit has been artificially ripened just by looking at it, thus there is very little one can do," Baretto said.
Oncologist Dr Shekhar Salkar opined that washing fruits well can help to some extent. "All carbides are harmful and calcium carbide is a cancer-causing chemical. The fruits available in the market are so convincing that it is difficult to figure it out which is naturally ripened and which is not. But washing them well before consumption can help lower the risk," he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Govt-No-mechanism-to-spot-artificially-ripened-fruit/articleshow/48949464.cms
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