Chennai: As one hits the streets on a hot day, one cannot help but notice fruit vendors mushrooming by the roadsides. With the sun beating down mercilessly, demand for watermelons, sweet lime and oranges has shot up over the days, vendors say. Water melon is the most sought after.
R Vetrivel, a watermelon seller at Parry’s Corner, says yellow watermelon has also entered the market especially for summer. It is sold at a higher price, so people prefer buying the usual watermelon,” he adds. A kilo of yellow watermelon, a variety called ‘Mridula,’ costs Rs 30 in the retail markets while the usual red watermelon costs Rs 15.
Concerns of artificial ripening: With mangoes set to enter the markets and the heat increasing the demand for fruits, concerns are raised about their quality. The food safety department is focusing on arresting the increase in chemicals like calcium carbide and ethylene used to artificially ripen fruits.
In a surprise inspection at Koyambedu market, a week ago, food safety officers, seized and destroyed 750 kilograms of artificially ripened sapota. They also seized 30 kg of calcium carbide and over 25 litres of ethephon, a plant growth regulator, used to artificially ripen bananas and papayas.
“More than 60 shops out of the inspected 70 shops were found to be using ethylene and calcium carbide. They have been issued notices and we are going to carry out periodic surprise inspections. We will carry out awareness activities to sensitise vendors against such practices,” said R Kathirvan, a food safety officer.
“If ethylene is used in a controlled environment, like ripening chambers provided by government, it can help ripen the fruits without leaving residues like heavy metals. Also, the fruits wont be contaminated by microbes,” said K. Ramaswamy, vice chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. There are 800 such chambers in Tamil Nadu, which are not being used and vendors use calcium carbide and ethylene in their own storage areas. He added that lead and bacterial contamination is what would affect one consuming fruits ripened using these chemicals.
According to Ravindranath of Doctors Association for Social Equality, artificially ripened fruits cause gastric troubles and intestinal problems. He adds that watermelons were being injected with artificial colours, which are carcinogenic.
