After mangoes, FDA now raids banana godowns

After mangoes, FDA now raids banana godowns
No illegalities found, more raids to continues: FDA chief 
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, JUNE 21
Close on the heels of the raids where harmful chemicals were discovered in the artificial ripening of mangoes, the Food and Drugs Administration on Monday conducted raids at four places to check if bananas were ripened in a similar fashion.
Raids were conducted at Margao (at the KTC Bus Stand), Vasco, Ponda, Mapusa and Panjim. However, no chemicals were found at any of these places, according to FDA Directior Salim Veljee, who maintained more surprise raids were in the offing.
Veljee said the recent raids to check ripening of mangoes had alerted the banana sellers and they probably hid the chemicals. We know these people are not angels and our raids will continue, he asserted.
He informed FDA inspectors Sanjot Kudalkar and Rajaram Patil raided two places in the new Panjim market and one at a godown in Chimbel to see if artificial banana ripening was being done. The inspectors found incense sticks (agarbatti) smoke being used to ripen the bananas and as such nothing could be done because the law says action can be if only calcium powder is used in the process, he stated.
VASCO REPORTER ADDS: FDA officials Rajaram Patil and Shivdas Naik on Monday conducted raids at two godowns in the port town. However, the officials did not find any chemicals like Calcium Carbide.
All the fruit merchants in Vasco are using natural means, Agarbathi incense sticks and dry cow dung for ripening, since these means are considered as natural means of ripening.
“It appears that fruit merchants have become more cautious, after raids were conducted to curb ripening of mangoes using chemicals,” said Salim Veljee.
He further said if the fruit merchants have become cautious and turned towards natural means of ripening, then their purpose is served to curb such activities, but FDA will still keep a track on fruits merchants.
MARCEL CORRESPONDENT ADDS: The FDA officials raided one godown in Mapusa and two at Upper Bazaar in Ponda to check if bananas were ripened using chemicals. FDA officials Abel Rodrigues and Flavia D’Souza conducted raid at Mapusa, while Nelson Fernandes raided two godowns at Ponda.