Hyderabad police seized over 200 kg of artificially ripened mangoes with chemicals at a fruit warehouse house in Asif Nagar. According to the Deccan Chronicle, mangoes were stored in 350 trays and ripened with ethylene packets. Mangoes were purchased from Batasingaram market and were stored in a godown. Police registered a case against the fruit warehouse posers identified as Jameel and Fareed.
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In another raid near Balkishan Mandir in Chudi Bazar, the team from Goshamahal Police Station arrested an accused named Kunal Nokatwale on Friday, April 3. Police said the trader was using “Diamond Ripe – Ethylene Ripener” to ripen mangoes quickly before selling them in the market.
During the raid, officers found four packets of the chemical, 25 loose sachets and around 200 kg of mangoes. According to the investigation, reported by NDTV, food safety allows only the use of five sachets of ethylene ripener for every 20 kg of mangoes.
The accused was using six sachets for each 20 kg tray, crossing the limit permitted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. A case has been registered under sections related to food adulteration, cheating and endangering public health, reported NDTV.
What Is Diamond Ripe – Ethylene Ripener
Diamond Ripe is a powder that generates ethylene gas, a natural plant hormone already present in fruits like mangoes and bananas. India's Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) explicitly permits ethylene for ripening at concentrations up to 100 ppm, stating it causes no health hazards as residues dissipate naturally after ventilation.