Concerns are mounting in Kashmir over the potential health hazards posed by the artificial ripening of fruits, particularly bananas and mangoes, which are widely consumed, including by children. This comes after FSSAI warned traders, fruit handlers, and Food Business Operators (FBOs) not to use prohibited calcium carbide for the artificial ripening of fruits. FSSAI has also advised the Food Safety Departments of states and Union Territories to remain vigilant and take serious action and deal stringently against persons indulging in such unlawful practices as per the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 and rules and regulations made there under.
Following the advisory, people in Kashmir are worried about whether the fruits available in the market are being ripened naturally or using artificial agents like calcium carbide, which poses serious health risks including cancer, respiratory problems, and other adverse effects. Most of the bananas sold in the region are imported unripened from other parts of the country and are artificially ripened using agents like ethylene gas in the HMT area of Srinagar. With no check from the authorities and inspections in the ripening chambers of Kashmir, residents remain apprehensive about the safety of these fruits.
“It’s terrifying to think that the fruits we feed our children could be laced with harmful chemicals,” said Farida Mir, a worried mother from Srinagar. She said that they didn’t know that these substances were being used to ripe.
