FSSAI warns fruit dealers of harmful calcium carbide

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a warning to traders, fruit handlers, and Food Business Operators (FBOs) to comply strictly with the ban on using calcium carbide for the artificial ripening of fruits, especially during the mango season. Calcium carbide, which is commonly used to ripen fruits like mangoes, releases acetylene gas containing harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus. Recently, FSSAI seized 575 kg of mangoes in Coimbatore worth Rs 72,000 after discovering they had been ripened using ethylene sachets in an unauthorized manner. These substances, often referred to as ‘masala’, can cause serious health issues such as dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers, and are hazardous to handlers.

FSSAI has urged state food safety departments and Union Territories to remain vigilant and take stringent actions against those engaging in such illegal practices as per the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006, and its regulations. Officials have highlighted that the use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits is banned under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, which explicitly prohibits the sale or offering for sale of fruits ripened using acetylene gas. Given the dangers, FSSAI has approved the use of ethylene gas as a safer alternative for ripening fruits in India, permitting its use at concentrations up to 100 ppm depending on the crop, variety, and maturity.

Ethylene, a naturally occurring hormone in fruits, triggers the natural ripening process and has been approved by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB & RC) in the form of Ethephon 39% SL for uniform ripening of mangoes and other fruits. FSSAI has published a comprehensive guidance document for food business operators outlining the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the artificial ripening of fruits using ethylene gas. This includes restrictions, requirements for ethylene ripening systems or chambers, handling conditions, sources of ethylene gas, protocols for its application, post-treatment operations, and safety guidelines. Consumers are encouraged to report any use of calcium carbide or improper ripening practices to state food safety authorities for appropriate action.