Even spending extra buck won’t help

Minna Zutshi

Fruits and vegetables that are fresh and naturally ripened are a rare commodity in the market. So much so that even if buyers are ready to spend ‘extra’ buck the availability of these fruits remains a problem. 

Vendors who sell fruits ripened with banned and harmful chemicals have a field day as the Health Department and Municipal Corporation officials find it convenient to ignore the sale of sub-standard fruit. Occasionally, officials concerned wake up, seize and destroy sub-standard fruit. But, for each kilogram of ‘masala-ripened fruits’ that is destroyed by officials, at least its 50 times escapes the attention of the authorities and finds its way to the stomach of ignorant people, who erroneously think that consuming fruit will help them remain healthy. 

Only a strict action by the authorities against vendors selling sub-standard fruit can help in providing consumers safe and healthy food. Is this asking for too much?   

OPEN HOUSE QUESTION

What measures should be taken by the administration to prevent fatal accidents on roads in the city? ludhiana.feedback@gmail.com

Open House response

Enforce laws to stop sale of artificially-ripened fruits

Honestly, do we really know what comes on our dining table? Whether it is green looking vegetables, mouth watering fruits and sweets, we have no clue about the process they are subjected to inorder to make them look good. Human greed for money has crossed all limits. And when the system is corrupt, anything, including synthetic khoya, adulterated milk, artificially coloured vegetables and quickly ripened fruits, can be passed. Nothing will change. We may keep writing till cows come home. We as a society have lost moral values and only the thing that matters is a profit. Unless our character improves, our food chain will stay adulterated. What I am asking for is a tall order.

Major (retd) Gurdeep Samra

Sensitise people on alternatives to chemicals

In order to satisfy local and international demand, besides inefficiency in government-regulated quality assurance, the haste in ripening of fruits has become a rampant and complex issue in the city. The practise goes on despite knowing the fact that it is prohibited under Rule 44 AA of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules as well as under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA) laws. That’s why climacteric fruits including mango, banana, papaya and apple in markets are deliberately contaminated by chemicals like calcium carbide, acetylene, ethylene, propylene, glycol, ethanol and chloroethyl phosphoric acid. People must know that calcium carbide popularly known as, ‘masala’, is colourless when pure, but black to grayish-white otherwise, with slight garlic like odour. When calcium carbide comes into contact with water vapours present in the surrounding atmosphere it releases acetylene gas. Direct consumption of acetylene gas can not only reduce oxygen supply to the brain, but also cause prolonged hypoxia, stomach disorder as well as irritation of the mucosal tissue in the abdominal region. Calcium carbide is a chemical compound that is industrially used in the production of calcium cyanamide (fertilizer) and also in welding iron. When broken down it also contains phosphorus and arsenic compounds. This causes poisoning. Workers applying calcium carbide on fruits can also have an encounter with serious health threats like dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation in mouth and nose, weakness, permanent skin damage, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, ulcers on the skin. Furthermore, this can also cause other serious complications, including miscarriage in pregnant women, liver and kidney damage. In spite of having strict laws and acts, the inclination toward the use of artificial ripening agents is dominant among farmers and vendors. It is because policies, laws, and regulations on artificial-fruit ripening are not being enforced strictly. We should sensitise people not to use products recommended only for industry on crops. Besides, mass awareness must be created among farmers, sellers, and consumers regarding artificial-fruit ripening agents and its possible health hazards. A safe alternative to calcium carbide for ripening of fruits must be used.

Ravi Chander Garg, Ludhiana

Open fruit clinics in different areas

The people in general and ludhianavis in particular should follow suggestions to stay healthy and make cities clean, green and pollution free. It is a matter of grave concern that some vendors are selling fruits in open while totally ignoring health issues. Each fruit seller or rehriwala should obey norms and take precautions as listed by doctors and other municipal officials. Those who are habitual violators should be punished and prevented from selling fruits. They should keep fruits only in those containers, which are recommended by doctors or experts from the FCI. A regulatory body should keep a vigil on vendors. The local Municipal Corporation must give them licences to sell fruits and salad. In each area a separate place must be earmarked for vendors to sell fruits. Such place should be clean. Over ripen fruits should not be allowed in markets. Fruit clinics must be allowed to function in each area under certain norms. Only fruit selected by a customer should be cut and sold at such clinics. Fruits should be displayed in showcases. There must be proper sitting arrangements. Boards should display vitamin contents of fruits and the intake quantity. It should also mention, which type of fruit is beneficial for children and adults. Price of fruits to be sold at clinics should be fixed in consultation with officials of the local government. Financial help to open fruit clinics should be given by banks, local government at nominal rate of interest. There should not be any compromise with the health of any person.

Dr Mohd Saleem, Ludhiana

Food inspectors must keep a check on sellers

Among the most common fruits available these days is mango. It is considered king of all fruits. All fruits are mostly ‘masala-ripened’. On visit to a fruit market one finds spent masala on scores of paper wrappers, which lie scattered on the floor. Such fruits have short shelf-life and start rotting sooner than later. On consumption, such treated fruits affect health in a number of ways. The responsibility to prevent sale of rotten fruits in markets lies on food inspectors of the Municipal Corporation. They must go around full stream in markets, destroy rotten and masala-treated fruits being sold by vendors and impose fine on them. Such fruits should not be allowed in markets. Besides, the Health Department must educate the public about bad effects of such treated fruits using all means available on social media. Also, citizens at their own level must learn about ill-effects of such fruits on health. They must avoid buying and consuming artificially ripened fruits.

Dr G Dev, Ludhiana

How fresh is food on your plate?

Every year the adulteration of food is checked near the rainy and festive seasons. This time the Municipal Corporation found 2,500 kg of fruit ripened with the help of masalas (banned chemicals), besides 40 kg of stale meat. This proves that we don’t get fresh fruit on our plates. Such exercise is undertaken by the authorities concerned occasionally. It should be done on a regular basis. The MC and the Health Department fail to deliver on promises every year. They need to become pro-active rather than post-active. It will help save people from many ailments. To act only in festive season does not solve the purpose because shopkeepers have already bought the banned material by then. The focus should be on industries, which manufacture artificial-ripening agents. If the authorities really want to stop food and sweets adulteration then they should raid premises of suppliers, who provide material to shopkeepers. It should be done before the festive month. During festivals vendors sell their ware and buyers buy the stuff they want without giving much thought on health. A check on food items by officials of the Health Department and the civic body throughout the year only can solve the problem to some extent.

Deepali Arora, Ludhiana