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FSSAI: FSSAI has recently issued an instruction in which fruit sellers have been banned from using chemicals. Let us know the whole matter.

FSSAI guidelines

FSSAI: With the arrival of summer comes the season of mangoes, who doesn't like to eat mangoes in summer, but do you know whether the fruit and mango you are eating is naturally ripened or chemicals have been used to ripen it, if you come to know that the fruit is ripened with chemicals then who would want to eat those fruits, due to this FSSAI has banned ripening of fruits with chemicals, let us know the whole matter in detail.

Actually, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a notice on April 16 in which it has asked to take strict action by banning the use of dangerous chemicals like calcium carbide and ethylene used for ripening fruits. According to FSSAI, these chemicals are lethal and should not be used directly with food items in any way.

FSSAI has directed all the states to be strict in this matter and keep an eye on big markets and storage, go to the warehouses of seasonal fruits like mango and check the use of calcium carbide and if the use of calcium carbide is found, a case should be registered under Section 59 of the FSS Act, instructions have been given to use testing paper to check the use of acetylene.

Now this must be coming in your mind that why these chemicals are used to ripen these fruits and why these fruits cannot be ripened naturally. There are many reasons behind this like it takes a lot of time for the fruits to reach the market and remain in storage, in this time naturally ripened fruits can get spoiled, hence these fruits are transported raw from one place to another and after reaching the place they are ripened with chemicals, the second reason is that it takes a lot of time to ripen naturally whereas 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 its 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.