Rampant adulteration in food items continue to pose a real threat to people’s lives in the city. Adulteration in milk, food items and eatables is visible in every nook and corner of the country. There is no one to catch hold of the miscreants. The crisis had taken a serious turn in the absence of adequate of consumer awareness in public domain. But adulteration is the major cause of worry when people go for cheap products in the consumer market. People generally go for seasonal fruits and they enjoy the taste at cheaper rates. Plenty of fruits are available in the market and people love mangoes and grapes very much. Generally they purchase these fruits in boxes and store them in fridge. But it is sad to note that these fruits are chemically ripened to get early market sale and such fruits are not really good for health. So, it is of utmost of importance to wash the fruits very well before consumption. In a first in the history of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, a huge quantity of artificially ripened bananas was destroyed by the Inspecting officials. Bananas were being ripened using a lethal chemical normally used in the wedding industry.
In the same way, Alphonso mango’s export was banned due to artificial ripening of the prestigious fruit before dispatching. Normally it takes any fruit at least 15 to 20 days to ripen. But we possess information about some shops indulging in artificial ripening. Concerned administration can curb such malpractice by conducting surprise visit at shops and wholesale markets. The fruits used to lie along with a chemical powder called calcium carbide. Generally, the bananas were ripened within 12-14 hours due to the presence and effect of the compound in the room. Needless to say, the bananas no longer remained organic after the chemical reaction. It is noticed that raw bananas are brought and kept in a red chemical mixed in a drum so that they ripen faster. They used to do this in broad day light. During festival time people will be using more fruits to appease God and by consuming such artificially ripened fruits people suffer from various diseases. It is time to take care of your health by not buying such artificially ripened fruits from the market. The government must take steps to curb adulteration in the open market and the health inspectors should keep a close vigil on those traders and shopkeepers violating law.
Jayanthy Subramaniam
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
