3 banana vendors held for using harmful ripening agent
The lid finally blew off a long held fear about the use of carcinogenic agents for ripening fruits sold in the market. The suspicion has grown all the more compelling with the police arresting three fruit vendors in Dimapur for allegedly using an industrial chemical to speed up the process of fruit ripening.
The arrests were made on January 6 at New Market and could involve a multi-crore illicit fruit ripening trade run right under the nose of the authorities. The substance in question – Calcium Carbide- is an industrial chemical used in steelmaking and commonly in iron welding units.
It unravelled with the arrest of one Laxmi Sha, a New Market-based banana vendor on January 6 from whose shop the police also recovered approximately 3kgs of Calcium Carbide. Sha’s arrest led to the arrest of two others – Baiju Sha and Rajesh Mahdo. A huge quantity of bananas was also seized.
According to the police, Sha admitted to using the chemical agent to artificially speed up the ripening process. “The arrested accused stated that half a kilogram of Calcium Carbide (CaC2) can ripen 3 quintals of unripe bananas,” stated the police. He was further said to have told the police that fruit traders in Dimapur use the chemical to artificially ripen fruits like mangoes, watermelons, apples and bananas.
Quoting scientific reports, the police said that the chemical contains arsenic and phosphorous; ingestion of which poses serious public health concern. Stating that further investigation is on, the police said that the seized Calcium Carbide, suspected to have been procured from Bhutan, and the bananas confiscated is being sent for forensic analysis. Calcium Carbide is also available in the market here for use in industrial units and not for fruit-processing.
Asked whether the state food safety authority has been alerted, the police said that it will be coordinating with the department in concern.
While some states in India have banned the use calcium carbide by fruit vendors, many are still to follow suit.
As per the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations 2011, use of Calcium Carbide for ripening of fruits is prohibited. The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in December 2016 has also asked the state health authorities to conduct frequent inspection of fruit and vegetable markets.
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