Now Reading: Raids on Udupi banana godowns find chemical ripening, 5,000 kg seized
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Raids on Udupi banana godowns find chemical ripening, 5,000 kg seized
Officials raided three banana storage centres in and around Alevoor near Udupi on Thursday and seized about 5,000 kg of bananas allegedly being artificially ripened and coloured using chemicals. Assistant Commissioner Rashmi…
Officials raided three banana storage centres in and around Alevoor near Udupi on Thursday and seized about 5,000 kg of bananas allegedly being artificially ripened and coloured using chemicals. Assistant Commissioner Rashmi SR, who led the operation along with health department teams, said coloured substances, spray bottles and buckets with mixed colour were found at all three locations.
The establishments lacked food licences and mandatory trade licences. The teams also took custody of vehicles loaded with bananas as part of the legal procedure. Rashmi warned consumers against buying bananas that appear excessively coloured or unnaturally ripened, saying such chemicals pose serious health risks. She said strict action will continue against violators of food safety regulations.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Karnataka has been cracking down on illegal fruit ripening using calcium carbide and other banned chemicals, which can cause neurological and gastrointestinal harm. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prohibits artificial ripening with calcium carbide and allows only ethylene gas under controlled conditions. Udupi district supplies bananas to several markets across the state, and repeated seizures here suggest the practice is entrenched. The next step will likely be prosecutions under the Food Safety and Standards Act, which carries penalties of up to Rs 10 lakh or imprisonment for repeat offenders. Watch for the health department's formal case filings in the coming weeks.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
