A division bench of the Telangana High Court, on Friday, directed the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to file a detailed counter affidavit, stating whether the chemical Ethephon can be used to ripen fruits or not, since it is listed under the ‘insecticides’ category.
The bench passed this order in a batch of petitions filed against the rampant use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits in the State. One of the petitioners, Nagpur-based SGS International, has challenged the State police’s arrest of its purchasers/traders on the grounds of using imported Ethephon for ripening fruits, such as mango, banana, and papaya.