PANAJI: With the food and drug administration (FDA) keeping a vigil, no cases of artificial ripening of mangoes using chemicals have been detected so far in this mango season.
However, availability of artificially-ripened mangoes and other fruits in the market cannot be ruled out as chemical-induced ripening can take place before their transportation to Goa.
Inter-state monitoring, however, is necessary for such activities to be properly addressed. "My department can take care of the problem within the state, but how do we check for the use of harmful chemicals when the mangoes are being transported from places like Belgaum. The transportation time is just enough for the chemical to poison the fruit and evaporate without being detected," said director of the food and drugs administration Salim Veljee.
Artificially ripening mangoes using calcium carbide or its fumes is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food and Safety Standards Rules and Regulations. Veljee said, "Anyone breaching the law will be severely penalized."
However, it is not easy to book the, FDA director said. Users of such methods can be booked only if proper circumstantial evidence is collected against them. Those using carbide fumes are many times left scot-free as no evidence is found against them. The FDA in Goa conducts frequent inspections at fruit yards, wholesale fruit godowns to curb the use of such chemicals.
Mangoes are also ripened artificially using plant growth regulators like ethephon, which is not as harmful as calcium carbide, but can be misused nevertheless. The directorate of agriculture provides this chemical to be used as a fertilizer for plant growth and not to ripen fruits.
Another artificial and non-harmful method to ripen mangoes is the cold process method which uses equipment to ripen mangoes in a few hours. "There is only one private agency in the entire state, which is based in Ponda who has such equipment. This method is economically not feasible at the moment, but this can be changed if the central government under its central schemes and subsidies provide such equipments to all the major cities in Goa", said Veljee.
Locals however still believe in ripening mangoes the old traditional way without the use of any perilous chemicals. "The mangoes should be aired well till all of its sap dries off and then it should be covered with hay for a period of six days, sometimes with some weight on top of it. The warmth from the hay helps the mangoes ripen naturally," said Madhu Gauns, a local farmer from Neura.
Locals believe that artificially grown mangoes taste sour and may appear ripe but are generally raw inside. "We have been and always will use our traditional methods," said Gauns.
However, availability of artificially-ripened mangoes and other fruits in the market cannot be ruled out as chemical-induced ripening can take place before their transportation to Goa.
Inter-state monitoring, however, is necessary for such activities to be properly addressed. "My department can take care of the problem within the state, but how do we check for the use of harmful chemicals when the mangoes are being transported from places like Belgaum. The transportation time is just enough for the chemical to poison the fruit and evaporate without being detected," said director of the food and drugs administration Salim Veljee.
Artificially ripening mangoes using calcium carbide or its fumes is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and the Food and Safety Standards Rules and Regulations. Veljee said, "Anyone breaching the law will be severely penalized."
However, it is not easy to book the, FDA director said. Users of such methods can be booked only if proper circumstantial evidence is collected against them. Those using carbide fumes are many times left scot-free as no evidence is found against them. The FDA in Goa conducts frequent inspections at fruit yards, wholesale fruit godowns to curb the use of such chemicals.
Mangoes are also ripened artificially using plant growth regulators like ethephon, which is not as harmful as calcium carbide, but can be misused nevertheless. The directorate of agriculture provides this chemical to be used as a fertilizer for plant growth and not to ripen fruits.
Another artificial and non-harmful method to ripen mangoes is the cold process method which uses equipment to ripen mangoes in a few hours. "There is only one private agency in the entire state, which is based in Ponda who has such equipment. This method is economically not feasible at the moment, but this can be changed if the central government under its central schemes and subsidies provide such equipments to all the major cities in Goa", said Veljee.
Locals however still believe in ripening mangoes the old traditional way without the use of any perilous chemicals. "The mangoes should be aired well till all of its sap dries off and then it should be covered with hay for a period of six days, sometimes with some weight on top of it. The warmth from the hay helps the mangoes ripen naturally," said Madhu Gauns, a local farmer from Neura.
Locals believe that artificially grown mangoes taste sour and may appear ripe but are generally raw inside. "We have been and always will use our traditional methods," said Gauns.
