The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed State and Union Territory food safety authorities to strengthen surveillance and enforcement against the use of unauthorized or prohibited artificial ripening agents in fruits. The advisory, issued in May 2026, highlights concerns over the illegal use of calcium carbide and ethephon for ripening fruits such as mangoes and bananas.
FSSAI reiterated that calcium carbide is prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, due to serious health risks including difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, skin ulcers, and other adverse effects.
The authority also raised concerns regarding the practice of dipping fruits in ethephon solution for artificial ripening. FSSAI clarified that its guidance permits only the direct application of ethephon in gaseous form and does not allow dipping fruits or vegetables in powder or liquid formulations.
State authorities have been instructed to conduct inspections at markets, mandis, storage facilities, wholesalers, distributors, and ripening chambers, especially during seasonal fruit demand. Enforcement agencies have also been advised to carry out strip paper tests to detect the presence of acetylene gas in godowns or ripening chambers, which may indicate the illegal use of calcium carbide.
According to the advisory, the presence of calcium carbide on premises or alongside fruit crates may be treated as evidence for initiating legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Consumer News Region