200 kg Of Artificially Ripened Mangoes Seized In Hyderabad, Fruit Trader Arrested

As the mango season begins, police have uncovered unsafe chemical ripening in the city. The team from Goshamahal Police Station arrested a 32-year-old fruit trader, Kunal Nokatwale, after a raid near Balkishan Mandir in Chudi Bazar on 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 seized four packets of the chemical, 25 loose sachets and around 200 kg of mangoes.

According to investigators, food safety rules allow only five sachets of ethylene ripener for every 20 kg of mangoes. But the accused was allegedly using six sachets for each 20 kg tray, crossing the limit fixed 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.

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Speaking about the case, B. Sravan Kumar, SHO of Goshamahal PS said, “The accused was using more chemicals than the permitted limit to ripen mangoes quickly and make illegal profit. Such acts can put people's health at risk. We will continue strict checks in markets and storage points.”

Photo: Ashish Kumar Pandey

The case comes at a time when mangoes are arriving in large numbers across markets in Hyderabad. Police and food safety officials have warned that some traders are using chemicals to make fruits look bright yellow and ready for sale.

As the use of chemicals is seen as a serious health hazard, Hyderabad CP VC Sajjanar appealed to the public to be careful while buying mangoes this summer.

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“The king of fruits should not become a fruit of fear. Do not buy mangoes only because they look shiny or bright yellow. Chemically ripened fruits may look good outside but can still be harmful inside,” he said.

Officials said naturally ripened mangoes usually have uneven colour, while chemically ripened mangoes often appear uniformly yellow and may have a strong smell. Doctors warn that such fruits can cause throat irritation, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea. In the long run, repeated consumption may even affect the nervous system and breathing. Police have asked people to report any suspicious storage or chemical ripening of fruits to the nearest police station.