NEW DELHI: With the onset of the popular mango season in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has reiterated its ban on artificial ripening of fruits using dangerous chemicals and gases.
India has more than 1,000 varieties of mangoes. Among them, varieties such as Alphonso grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, Chausa cultivated in north India’s plains and the Himalayan region as well as Banganapalli and Totapuri from Andhra Pradesh are in huge demand all over the world.
The FSSAI yesterday warned that the use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits was especially bad for human health.
‘No person shall sell or offer or expose for sale or have in his premises for the purpose of sale under any description, fruits which have been artificially ripened by use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas,’ an FSSAI notification said.
India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare explained that ‘calcium carbide releases acetylene gas which contains
harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus. Residue of these substances on fruits can cause serious health issues such as dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting and skin ulcers,’ the Ministry warned.
The FSSAI has, however, permitted the use of ethylene gas as a safe alternative for fruit ripening. ‘Ethylene, a naturally occurring hormone in fruits, regulates the ripening process by initiating and controlling a series of chemical and biochemical activities,’ it said.
India exported 22,963.76 metric tonnes of fresh mangoes during the financial year 2022-23 for which statistics are available.
These consignments were totally valued at $ 48.53 million, according to the government-run Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
APEDA said the GCC countries, the UK and the US were the main export markets for Indian mangoes.
Krishnan Nayar
Source: Emirates News Agency
