Stale fruits end up as juice in many stalls in Salem

With the soaring temperature and scorching heat, the demand for fresh juice is on the rise in Salem.
If the fruit juice vendor offers you a discount next time, be cautious. The juice he gives may be prepared from partially-rotten fruits and those that were disposed of from fruit shops after found unfit for sale.
To beat the heat, people tend to consume fresh fruit juices. Due to the demand and soaring price of fruits, juice stalls have increased the price of juices. But a few stalls in the city sell juices on discount on any day.
Excess heat
The reason - the fruits kept for display at the stalls become stale due to excess heat. Since customers do not prefer such fruits, the vendors use them for juices and sell at a discount price.
If the price of normal grape juice is Rs. 20 and the mango juice is Rs. 25, it is sold at Rs. 10 just to dispose of the available fruits at the earliest. Fruits should be stored at particular temperature and skins should be peeled and cut for making fresh juices. But usually, vendors chop fruits and store them in the open.
Consumption of these juices would lead to diarrhoea and viral infection, said T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department.