PANJIM: Amidst complaints of artificial ripening of fruits by distributors in Mapusa, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said there was no such case and the vendors are following traditional methods.
In a statement here, Rane said in continuation with the inspection carried out at Margao to check for artificial ripening of fruits, a surveillance drive was carried out on July 3, early morning at Mapusa market yard.
“A total of 10 premises were visited at Mapusa yard to check for artificial ripening of fruits. However, after thorough inspection, no suspicious activity of artificial chemical ripening was observed. Vendors were following traditional Bhatti method for fruit ripening. As part of a precautionary measure, 7 samples of banana, mango and papaya were drawn and sent to FDA lab for testing,” Rane said.
He added that his department is on the job to check for any sort of chemical/artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables.
“I am grateful to Mrs Jyoti Sardesai and her team for their pro-activeness,” he added.
