Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chemically ripened mangoes continue to be a threat to the public health in Assam, where the sleuths of the Food Safety Commissionerate seized around a quintal of such mangoes and handed them over to the GMC for dumping today. Earlier, the sleuths also seized and destroyed mangoes from Fancy Bazar and Adabari in Guwahati. This practice is going on everywhere in the state.
Sleuths of the Food Safety Commissionerate have been conducting raids in markets all over the state, leading to the seizure, laboratory tests and destruction due to the use of calcium carbide (CaC) for the artificial ripening of mangoes, bananas and other fruits.
Chasing a viral portal report, the sleuths of the Food Safety Commissionerate first detected the use of colouring agents on pointed gourd (potol) at Barpeta Road. The sleuths also seized artificially ripened bananas from the market at Barpeta Road and destroyed them recently.
Anupam Gogoi, the chief food analyst of the State Public Health Laboratory, said, “We continue to receive complaints about the presence of pesticides in vegetables and the use of artificial ripening agents like calcium carbide. Such pesticides and calcium carbides are harmful to health. These are substances banned under the Food Safety Standard Act. People consuming fruits and vegetables should be cautious. They should take in seasonal vegetables and fruits and do away with consuming fruits and vegetables that aren’t seasonal.”
Also Read: Beware of consuming calcium carbide! Artificially ripened mangoes glut markets