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With the arrival of summer, mango season arrives. Who doesn’t like to eat mangoes in the summer? But do you know whether the fruits and mangoes you are eating have been ripened naturally or have been ripened using chemicals? If you find out that the fruit has been ripened with chemicals, who would want to eat them? This is why FSSAI has banned the use of chemically ripened fruits. Let’s explore the entire matter in detail.
In fact, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a notice on April 16th, banning the use of dangerous chemicals used to ripen fruits, such as calcium carbide and ethylene, and calling for strict action. According to FSSAI, these chemicals are lethal and should not be used directly with food in any way.
FSSAI has directed all states to take strict action in this matter, monitoring major markets and storage facilities. Inspect warehouses storing seasonal fruits like mangoes for calcium carbide. If calcium carbide is found, a case should be filed under Section 59 of the FSS Act. Instructions have been given to use testing paper to check for the use of acetylene.
You might be wondering why these chemicals are used to ripen these fruits, and why they can’t be ripened naturally. There are several reasons for this: it takes a long time for the fruits to reach the market and remain in storage. Naturally ripened fruits can spoil during this time. Therefore, these fruits are transported raw from one place to another and then ripened with chemicals once they reach the destination. Another reason is that natural ripening takes a long time, while chemicals like calcium carbide ripen the fruits in a very short time.
It is quite easy to identify fruits ripened with chemicals. Seasonal fruits like mango can be identified by their colour and taste. When ripened with chemicals, the mango may appear completely ripe from outside but from inside it may be raw and slightly sour due to rawness. Also, on eating fruits ripened with chemicals, one may feel a slight burning sensation in the throat or a strange taste.