TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Food and Drug Administration officials seized 1.5 tonnes of raw Afonso mangoes worth Rs 80,000 from one Nazzir Z B’uthulla, which were meant for artificial ripened by using chemical, at Malbhat, Margao, and a case was booked against the accused under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Senior Food Safety Officer Nelson Fernandes and his team raided shop no 1, 2 and 3 on the ground floor of a building at Malbhat, Margao and found the mangoes being artificially ripened by the accused by using Calcium carbide powder.
The entire stock of mangoes was seized, confiscated and later destroyed at Sonsodo garbage site in the presence of the vendor.
This drive on artificial ripening of fruit is in progress and was conducted Saturday by two separate teams of FDA officials ~ two teams in South Goa and two teams in North Goa.
However, FDA could detect only one case in Malbhat Margao. Such surveillance drives on artificially ripened fruits will also continue in other parts of the State, Director FDA Salim Veljee said.
