New Delhi: Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar clarified in Parliament today that Ethylene is a safer alternative for ripening of Fruits. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha today, Agriculture Minister clarified that ripening of fruits by using ethylene gas at a concentration upto 100 ppm (100µ/L) depending upon the crop, variety and maturity has been permitted.
Minister stated that “It is also produced in the fruits naturally to stimulate their ripening in a natural way.”
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also developed a Guidance Note No.04/2018 on “ARTIFICIAL RIPENING OF FRUITS – Ethylene gas- A safe fruit ripener”.
The Union Minister stated that “use of Calcium Carbide in ripening of fruits is prohibited and no person shall sell or offer or expose for sale or have in his premises for the purpose of sale under any description, fruits which have been artificially ripened by use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas.”
