CHENNAI: In an early morning raid on the Koyambedu fruit market on Monday, seven tonnes of mangoes and two tonnes of papayas – all artificially ripened – have been seized at the side of 3kg of ethylene, a ripening agent.
During the four-hour operation that began at 4am, 58 stores have been raided of which 33 have been discovered to be the use of agents for artificial ripening of mangoes. Fruits value ?4.eight lakh have been disposed of on the Koyambedu biomethanization plant, mentioned officials involved within the raid.
Several shopkeepers depart ethylene packets a few of the mangoes a couple of hours after the market closes for the evening and remove them sooner than it reopens within the morning, mentioned an professional. “So we determined to raid the market sooner than it opened,” he added.
To ripen papayas artificially, baking soda is dissolved in a 20-litre container of water and the fruits are exposed to the escaping carbon dioxide through holes within the vessel, the professional added.
“However, handiest 15% of the shops have been discovered to make use of such techniques. The leisure have been the use of ripening chambers to ripen fruits,” mentioned a member of the market management committee.
Traders admitted to the use of ethylene sachets however denied that they motive health problems. “The executive will have to supply enough artificial ripening chambers if they don't permit such methods. We have not heard of any side-effects,” mentioned a trader. Health officials, on the other hand, mentioned the use of artificial ripening agents was known to motive digestion issues, nausea, and heartburn.
During the four-hour operation that began at 4am, 58 stores have been raided of which 33 have been discovered to be the use of agents for artificial ripening of mangoes. Fruits value ?4.eight lakh have been disposed of on the Koyambedu biomethanization plant, mentioned officials involved within the raid.
Several shopkeepers depart ethylene packets a few of the mangoes a couple of hours after the market closes for the evening and remove them sooner than it reopens within the morning, mentioned an professional. “So we determined to raid the market sooner than it opened,” he added.
To ripen papayas artificially, baking soda is dissolved in a 20-litre container of water and the fruits are exposed to the escaping carbon dioxide through holes within the vessel, the professional added.
“However, handiest 15% of the shops have been discovered to make use of such techniques. The leisure have been the use of ripening chambers to ripen fruits,” mentioned a member of the market management committee.
Traders admitted to the use of ethylene sachets however denied that they motive health problems. “The executive will have to supply enough artificial ripening chambers if they don't permit such methods. We have not heard of any side-effects,” mentioned a trader. Health officials, on the other hand, mentioned the use of artificial ripening agents was known to motive digestion issues, nausea, and heartburn.
Rs 4.8 lakh artificially ripened fruits seized at Koyambedu
![Rs 4.8 lakh artificially ripened fruits seized at Koyambedu]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
May 29, 2018
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