Overview

• FSSAI has directed all States and Union Territories to ramp up inspections targeting the illegal use of calcium carbide and other non-permitted ripening agents in fruit markets and storage facilities.
• The regulator emphasized that the presence of calcium carbide at storage sites will be treated as circumstantial evidence, potentially leading to prosecution under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
• Calcium carbide, banned for use in ripening since 2011, poses serious health risks, including mouth ulcers, gastric irritation, and carcinogenic effects, according to FSSAI.
• FSSAI flagged the misuse of ethephon solution for ripening fruits and reiterated that only ethylene gas, used under prescribed Standard Operating Procedures, is permitted for artificial ripening.
• Violations of ripening norms will attract strict penal action, with FSSAI urging Food Business Operators to adhere to its guidelines to ensure safe and compliant practices.