Hyderabad: Fine slapped on Kothapet fruit market traders for use of Ethephon

Hyderabad: All instructions, measures and warnings failed to yield any fruitful result as the team of officials from the Food Control Wing and the Analysts from State Food Laboratory cracked the whip against the fruit agents on Tuesday at Gaddiannaram Agricultural Market Yard (Kothapet Fruit Market) for using chemical substance Ethephon for artificial ripening of mangoes and other fruits beyond permissible limits.

The officials imposed fines varying from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000 on at least 13 fruit agents for carrying unhealthy and harmful practices despite several warnings and edifications in the past.

"In the surprise inspection carried out today we found that 'Ethephon' which is permissible for artificial ripening of fruits with prescribed guidelines was placed in sachets under the fruits bags beyond prescribed limits, regardless of the safety principles that says the sachets should be kept under the boxes carefully so to avoid direct contact with the fruit," stated Laxminarayana Reddy, Senior Scientific Officer, State Food Laboratory.

It is learnt that the fruit agents at Kothapet Fruit Market soon pump in the support of local markets committee officials and held a meeting together with the inspecting authorities to prevent them from going further into action.

During the meeting, the agents have assured the whipping authorities not to take any further action and provide them yet another chance to mend ways. The officials were reportedly heard saying that next time they would file cases against fruit agents in the market yard as they are having the primary role to prevent such unhealthy practices that put peoples' lives into jeopardy. Though the mango and sweet lime produce largely comes from the Telangana region, the other fruits get into the market yard from other States.

It is said that a chemical compound called 'Ethephon' is being used at the Kothapet market to provide artificial repining not only to raw mangoes but for other fruits like pineapple and sweet lime/citrus that comes with a host of health benefits. However, the Agri-experts claim that the use of Ethephon leaves its chemical traces behind that turn the fruit into a bunch of health problems instead of providing health benefits.

"The most commonly used chemical for artificial ripening is called Ethephon (2 chloroethyl phosphonic acid). It penetrates the fruit and decomposes ethylene. Similarly, calcium carbide, another chemical used regularly, produces acetylene which is an analogue of ethylene.

It is, however, fraught with several problems. The studies have shown that it breaks down the organic composition of vitamins and other micronutrients," explained Dr Ch Subba Raju, an agricultural expert.

Apart from GHMC Food Safety Officer Megham, Junior Scientific Officer N Ravindra, Food Safety Officer, and Flying Squad member Dharmendra and Praveen Reddy Special Grade Secretary Agricultural Market Yard Gaddiannaram took part in the inspection.