Srinagar, Sep 9: With Jammu and Kashmir Government doing little to keep a check on food adulteration in the Valley markets, artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables is being continuously carried out here with chemicals like Ethylene and Calcium Carbide sold out in retail and wholesale. An on-the-spot assessment by Greater Kashmir has revealed that chemicals are being heavily used for the ripening of fruits as well as vegetables in different markets with Fruit Mandi, Parimpora, remaining the epicenter of the phenomenon. Pertinently, micro markets of the Valley get fruit and vegetable supplies from the Fruit Mandi Parimpora.
 The artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables is not only undertaken at Parimpora Mandi but wholesalers sell out chemicals to retailers as well, who later undertake the process at their own stores.
 Almost every dealer at Parimpora Mandi has two stores. In one store there are those fruits or vegetables which are already ripened by the wholesaler and are sold at higher prices than the raw fruits. The retailers have two choices: either to take ripened fruits by paying surplus money or take raw fruits or vegetables with packets of chemicals.
 This reporter, pretending to be a retail fruit seller, confirmed from one of the storekeepers at the Parimpora Mandi about the process of artificial ripening. The storekeeper was courteous enough to divulge the whole phenomenon of artificial ripening. He said there are two types of fruits available in the stores. “If you have to take ripened fruits, the process of ripening is already done. But if you want raw fruit we will recommend some chemicals like carbate (sic) for it. You will see the miracle,” he told this reporter, in a typical Kashmiri accent.
 The storekeeper disclosed that the process had been taking place for a long. “As far as market checks are concerned, officials have never visited us. No one infiltrates into our stores,” he said.
 Experts told Greater Kashmir that use of calcium carbine and ethylene are dangerous for health and can lead to severe ailments and disease outbreaks. “Calcium carbide is used in industries for welding purposes. Now that it is being used for ripening of fruits the phenomenon can lead to severe ailments in neurology, skin and lungs,” said Dr Ghulam Hassan, Assistant Professor, Fruit Sciences, Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) Kashmir.
 He said the use of chemicals for the artificial ripening of fruits is banned under Article 
 Article 44-AA of National Horticulture Board. “Violation of article is dealt with six months of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000,” he said.
 Dr Sajad Hussain, Senior Research Fellow, Pollination Center, SKUAST, said the use of the chemicals for ripening can also cause damage to eyes, skin and lungs. “Although Ethylene is not that dangerous but it also adulterates the fruit because the chemicals mature it before natural growth. When these chemicals mix up with the water of the fruit it produces phosphates and arsenic which are very dangerous for health,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 Sep 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 9 Sep 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:00:00 IST