May 21, 2013

FOR THIS ROTTEN AAM RAS YOU PAY RS 120/KG

As civic officials raid a dozen shops in the city, the worst fear comes true: that vendors use cancer-causing carbide to ripen mangoes, rotten fruit to make pulp

Health officials raided about a dozen shops in West Zone on Friday and destroyed around 200 kg of mangoes, 100 kg of suspected substandard aam ras (pulp) and took samples from two dairies for apparent use of synthetic colour to give it that lip-smacking shade. About a dozen officers from health along with food and drug departments went to 11 places where the fruit and pulp were being sold.

They checked the shops and warehouses to see if sweetener and cancercausing calcium carbide was used as ripening agent. True to their suspicion, they found the vendors at most places rampantly using banned carbide to ripen mangoes and making aam ras from rotten fruit. Some vendors were found using artificial non-edible colour and flavour to make it look fresh and delicious.Some of the offenders were: Sardar Fruit Centre in Sardar Patel Colony,

Anand Seasonables at Stadium Crossroads, Sreeji Corner in Naranpura, Jai Ambe Keri Bhandar and Yogeshwar Keri Bhandar in Manekbaug and Dharnidhar Keri Bhandar in Dharnidhar. The officials collected Rs 45,400 as administrative charges from them. "We regularly carry out such checks and collect samples for test. Those found selling adulterated pulp are penalised. We would advise people to buy mango and make pulp at their home.

Also, people must ensure the fruit they have bought are not ripened using carbide," said Municipal Commissioner Guruprasad Mohapatra. According to AMC Medical Officer S P Kulkarni, seven samples taken from various juice centres and dairies in the city were found to be sub-standard in March and April. The reports have been sent to the health department in Gandhinagar for further action. "Every summer we warn fruit vendors against use of carbide to ripen mangoes as the chemical is carcinogenic. We conducted the raid to check if the vendors were following our health advisory.

Though shopkeepers charge up to Rs 120 a kg for aam ras, it is shocking to see many of them using hazardous substances only to make quick money. People should be wary of such vendors," said Dr Bhavin Solanki, the Deputy Health Officer who led the 11-member inspection team.

WHAT IS CARBIDE?
Though banned in many countries, including India, calcium carbide is widely used as ripening chemical agent. Popularly called simply carbide is strong reactive chemical and has carcinogenic properties. It is used in gas welding for steel goods. When it comes in contact with moisture, it produces acetylene gas which is quite similar in reaction to the natural ripening agents produced by fruit known as ethylene. Acetylene acts like ethylene and accelerates the ripening process.

Scientists say the release of acetylene gas could also affect the respiratory and nervous system, causing nausea and problems in breathing. In comparison, etheral is safe with no toxic effects, making it universally acceptable as fruit ripening agent, along with cytokinin -- a natural fruit ripening plant hormone. Etheral contains ethaphone and is cost-effective, too.