May 16, 2019
Food safety dept now allows ethylene method to ripen mangoes
Trichy: After banning the use of carbide stones in artificially ripening mangoes, the food safety and drug administration department is now focussing on using ethylene powder to ripen the fruit. The department has also prepared a standard operating procedure for the traders to use the powder for ripening.
While natural ripening is the undisputed method, several factors such as the time (It will take more than one week for a raw mango to turn fruit naturally) affecting the farmers and traders prompt the enforcing department to find out new ways to help them ripen mangoes quickly and reduce the financial loss. It also wants to stop the traders from using carbide stone, which produces harmful acetylene to induce the ripening process.
Till last year, the food safety and drug administration department had been pressing for using ethylene gas to ripen the mangoes. But the traders had violated the producers to be followed. They covered mangos with ethylene sprayed sheets, which turned the fruit harmful.
Hence, the food and safety officials have devised a new method this year with the help of the agriculture department that a sachet of ethephom can be used for ripening without any direct contact with the fruit. The sachet dipped in water should be kept near mangoes for 24 hours for the raw mangoes to turn fruit. Food safety & drug administration has taken initiative to persuade the traders in Chennai to try the new method. "We educated the traders in the capital to take it up recently. Many of them are following the procedure," said designated officer of Chennai Dr A Ramakrishnan.
Food safety department in Trichy organised an awareness meeting a week ago for the mango traders and sensitized them to go for natural ripening in the first place. The traders were also asked to take up the ethephom sachet technique to ripen the mangoes through ethylene gas.
But, the traders are indifferent towards the new method. T Ravi, a mango wholesale trader at Gandhi Market, said that they are yet to test the new method. "Food safety officers advised us to use ethylene gas to ripen mangoes last year. We used them. Now, they are asking us to use ethylene," he said.
Designated officer, food safety and drug administration department of Trichy Dr R Chithra has warned the traders of severe action if found violating the instructions. "While emphasising on the natural ripening, we also tell them to try the new method. The erring traders will face legal actions," Chithra told ToI.
'Dead lizard' found in food at Haldiram's in Nagpur, FDA cracks whip
The incident took place at the outlet located at Ajani square on Tuesday morning.
The picture of the dead lizard found in 'vada sambar' went viral on social media.
A man allegedly found a dead lizard in a food item served at the snacks major Haldiram's outlet in Nagpur, a Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) official said on Wednesday. The incident took place at the outlet located at Ajani square on Tuesday morning.
The picture of the dead lizard found in 'vada sambar' went viral on social media."The man and a woman accompanying him, both from Wardha, had ordered vada sambar at the outlet. But while eating, the man found a dead lizard in the food. They brought this to the notice of the outlet's supervisor, who later on threw it away," assistant commissioner of FDA (Nagpur) Milind Deshpande told PTI.
"They were later admitted to a private hospital and discharged on Wednesday," he added.The duo, however, neither spoke to media, not lodged a complaint in this regard."
The FDA was informed about it in the evening, after which we immediately visited the Haldiram's outlet and conducted an inspection. We found certain deficiencies in its kitchen. The windows of the kitchen need to be fitted with nets, which was missing," Deshpande said.
"The FDA has closed the outlet till they complete the compliance as per the Food Safety and Standards (Food business licences and Registration) regulations 2011. They have submitted a compliance report to us. We will inspect the premises and if we find the steps taken are satisfactory, only then we will allow it to reopen," he added.
When contacted, a senior office-bearer of Haldiram's told PTI that they doubted the veracity of consumers' claim.
"But we admitted them to nearby hospital. They were kept under observation for 24 hours and their medical reports were normal. They have been discharged today."We have submitted a compliance report to the FDA," hesaid.
78% can’t detect truth behind ripe mangoes
Private Survey Flags Poor Awareness On Adulteration
Chennai:
Consumer awareness on adulteration in mangoes is rather low, according to a study released by a private survey group on Wednesday.
Of the 13,000 people surveyed, around 78% said they don't know how to identify artificially ripened mangoes.
This information comes against the backdrop of intensified search and raid operations by the state food safety and drug administration department in fruit shops in and around Chennai.
As far as the city is concerned, there are 120 shops in Koyambedu market which sell mangoes. Apart from this, around 70 private retailers sell mangoes on a prominent scale on a regular basis.
Ahead of this year's mango season, authorities had conducted three meetings with these shop owners and held sessions on the dos and don’ts for ripening of fruits.
At the end of these sessions, notices were issued explaining the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and consequences they’ll face in case of violations.
“This is to ensure that the shopkeepers don’t claim acquittal on humanitarian basis as was done in the past. So far, we have booked cases against four shops – three in Koyambedu and one in T Nagar – under Sections 50 and 55 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” said A Ramakrishnan, designated food safety officer of Chennai district.
The District Revenue Officer is the aggregation officer who will hear these cases, and impose fine of up to ₹4 lakh on each of the violators, he added. “Besides, 8-10% of direct fruit usage will be scanned on a daily basis.”
All four shops were caught red-handed for using ethylene sachets in direct contact with mangoes.
The study, however, pointed out that popular online food retail apps sell mangoes that are ripened using ethylene, claiming that ethylene ripening is permitted by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Rejecting this, TN food safety department authorities said direct contact of ethylene sachets is barred as per the SOP released by FSSAI last December.
Rather, fruit shops are allowed to undertake ethylene ripening only at the rate of one sachet per 10 kg of mangoes. The sachet should be soaked in water and kept inside a small perforated plastic box (one cm area). This box can be placed in an airtight box containing mangoes and should be removed after 24 hours.
An interesting issue this mango season is that no calcium carbide stones were used for artificial ripening processes. These stones cause cancer and neurological problems.
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