FSSAI Launches Crackdown on Illegal Fruit Ripening Practices:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all states and Union Territories to intensify monitoring and enforcement against the use of banned ripening agents like calcium carbide. This directive, aimed primarily at curbing unsafe practices in fruit markets and storage facilities, comes in light of rising concerns over the harmful effects of chemically ripened mangoes on public health.The FSSAI issued a nationwide directive on May 21, 2025, asking food safety commissioners and regional directors to conduct special enforcement drives to prevent the use of prohibited chemicals, especially calcium carbide, in ripening fruits like mangoes.
