It is no more a surprise that people who buy fruits and vegetables to ensure nutritional fulfillment and counter vitamin deficiency often confront various ailments after consuming the same because everything is not right as far as these entities are concerned. There are a number of reports published in different media platforms including print, social, and electronic that unscrupulous elements are using chemicals for ripening the fruits and vegetables besides making these look brighter and attractive to woo the buyers in an extraordinary manner.
As markets are flooded with mangoes and bananas, those having knowledge about storing and making them ready for sale often share that a dangerous chemical calcium carbide is extensively used for artificially ripening these fruits posing a serious threat to the health and hygiene of the people.
Although every city, town and village in the Union Territory have units of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the administration of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India regulating the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import of food articles, while also establishing standards to ensure food safety but the malpractices of ripening fruits and polishing them goes on unabated putting the health of consumers into danger.
As fruits and vegetables are sold by a large number of vendors with many distinguishable and many unidentified as hundreds of migrant workers sell these entities to earn their livelihood in the region making it difficult for the civic bodies to keep a check on each and every seller.
Under such conditions it becomes necessary to buy fruits and vegetables from known vendors having credible sources of procuring these entities and washing the same extensively without any exception as pesticides are also a big issue these days.
Reportedly, the FSSAI has advised the Food Safety Departments of states and Union Territories to remain vigilant and take serious action and deal stringently against persons indulging in aforesaid unlawful practices as per the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 and rules and regulations made there under but then also taking precautions at individual level holds the key to safety.
Therefore people should keep their eyes and ears open while buying vegetables and fruits, and should not compromise on any of these things because remaining healthy is paramount and taking a complacent stance over this issue is not at all advisable.
