Delhi using health-friendly ethylene to ripen fruits
4 July 2012 1:46 AM GMT
Within less than a year of implementation of the Food and Safety Standard Act, the city has seen the growing use of health-friendly organic compound ethylene to ripen fruits.
A K Walia, health minister held a meet on Tuesday to check on the status of enforcement of the act. The meeting was attended by the senior officials of the departments of Health & Family Welfare, Food Safety, Agricultural Marketing Produce Corporation, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, Sri Ram Institute for Industrial Research, Mother Dairy and president/secretary of Fruits and Vegetable Merchants.
Walia said, ‘There has been decline in use of hazardous chemical for ripening of fruits like calcium carbide. The results are good, but it is not sufficient. The keeping in view the need to protect public health, it is essential that traders as well as citizens should come together to promote safe ripening agents’.
At present, 80 per cent of bananas and 25 per cent of mangoes consumed in Delhi are being ripened with ethylene.
Walia emphasised that the wholesale traders must realise their moral responsibility to the society and should make more investment in building infrastructure for ensuring availability of safe fruits to citizens.
The minister also assured that government on its part would provide all support to traders in promoting safe fruits.
Walia directed the Food Safety Department to launch public awareness campaign through mass media in this direction.
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee [APMC] would also prepare and distribute public education folders and pamphlets to create mass awareness.
A K Walia, health minister held a meet on Tuesday to check on the status of enforcement of the act. The meeting was attended by the senior officials of the departments of Health & Family Welfare, Food Safety, Agricultural Marketing Produce Corporation, Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, Sri Ram Institute for Industrial Research, Mother Dairy and president/secretary of Fruits and Vegetable Merchants.
Walia said, ‘There has been decline in use of hazardous chemical for ripening of fruits like calcium carbide. The results are good, but it is not sufficient. The keeping in view the need to protect public health, it is essential that traders as well as citizens should come together to promote safe ripening agents’.
At present, 80 per cent of bananas and 25 per cent of mangoes consumed in Delhi are being ripened with ethylene.
Walia emphasised that the wholesale traders must realise their moral responsibility to the society and should make more investment in building infrastructure for ensuring availability of safe fruits to citizens.
The minister also assured that government on its part would provide all support to traders in promoting safe fruits.
Walia directed the Food Safety Department to launch public awareness campaign through mass media in this direction.
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee [APMC] would also prepare and distribute public education folders and pamphlets to create mass awareness.
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