Imagine what will happen if the fruit that is being fed to an infant has been artificially ripened. There is in fact no need to imagine, as artificially ripened fruit is being sold in the markets of Goa so the possibility does exist. The Food and Drugs Administration has been raiding the fruits markets and destroying fruit whose ripening process has been hastened by artificial means. Other fruit that was seized from the Panjim fruit market has been sent for testing, and the results are awaited. This was not the only raid conducted, as earlier in February, there had been a similar raid in Mapusa with similar results.
While fruits are a necessary part of a healthy diet – World Health Organisation recommends five servings of fruit a day – the health risks involved due to the consumption of fruit that has had chemicals applied so that they ripen faster are great. One of the commonly used ripening agents is ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid). The use of calcium carbide for ripening of fruit has been banned by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954. Its use can lead to imprisonment of those involved for a period of up to three years along with a fine of Rs 1,000. While the law exists, it is the implementation that falls short.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Take for instance Goa itself, where the artificial ripening of fruit has ben found only because of the raids undertaken by the Food and Drugs Administration. Do the sporadic raids stop or reduce the ripening agents applied to the fruit? The fact that the action in Panjim came a week after a similar drive in Mapusa and yet seized fruit from the Panjim market is a clear indication that the fruit sellers did not see the raid in the other town as a deterrent or a cause to be worried. They continued applying the chemicals to the fruit, unconcerned of the harm that it could cause to the consumers.
The fact that fruit is being ripened by some artificial means cannot be ruled out. Much of the fruit sold in the markets of Goa is not local and so it is not harvested after it gets ripe, but at an earlier stage as it then gets packed and transported over long distances and days of travel before it reaches its final destination. Having received the raw fruit, it is the traders – wholesalers or retailers – who then add certain chemicals that will ripen the fruit for sale. According to studies, fruit that has been artificially ripened will very likely have a rather uniform skin colour but the taste would be less flavoursome and the fruit would have a shorter shelf-life. But, is there a safe ripening agent that can be used?
Coming against the backdrop of the controversy of formalin being used to preserve fish, the artificial ripening of fruit adds to the unknown factor of whether what we are eating is harmful to health. To repose faith in the people that the food items sold in the markets of the State are safe for consumption, the FDA has to undertake quality checks on a more frequent basis. The sporadic drives will unearth illegalities, but will not stop them from continuing. It is only when the department gets very serious on the issue with repeated raids, that traders will stop their unlawful activities. The use of any chemicals in preserving or ripening of food should be dealt with strongly, to bring an end to it.
