BHUBANESWAR: Teams from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Friday destroyed over a quintal of bananas in major raid on the banana godowns in Bapuji Nagar, Ashok Nagar and Buddha Nagar areas of city over complaints of excessive use of ethephon chemical to artificially ripen the fruits.
Officials said around 30 godowns were inspected and around 15 were served notice for failing to comply to norms. FSSAI designated officer Pratikshya Das Mahapatra said during inspection, the food safety officials found ethephon was being used beyond permissible limits for ripening bananas.
Over a quintal of bananas treated with the chemical were destroyed on the spot, while the chemical and spraying equipment found at the premises were also seized. The godowns concerned were also ordered to remain temporarily closed as part of the enforcement action, she said.
The officer said the banana clusters generally take around four days to ripen naturally, but some traders were using excessive quantities of chemicals to ripen them overnight. The department had previously warned the godown operators several times to comply with food safety norms, but repeated violations prompted the raid.
Following the action, the banana association has agreed to prohibit the use of ethephon and has submitted the decision in writing. The traders have been issued strict warning that any future use of ethylene for banana ripening must strictly comply with FSSAI guidelines, she said.
The officer further said the raid was conducted with the cooperation of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and police officials, who assisted the Food Safety and Health officials during the inspection and enforcement drive. “Such inspections will continue to ensure compliance and prevent the excessive use of chemicals in the artificial ripening of fruits,” she added.