Lok Sabha Question No. 2892 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-28
Subject: Artificial Ripening of Fruits and Vegetables
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMA DEVI, HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2892 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28 TH DECEMBER, 2018

## ARTIFICIAL RIPENING OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

## 2892. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI: SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of cases of adulteration and usage of chemical compounds to artificially ripen fruits and vegetables which has come up during the last three years, State/UT - wise;
- (b) whether such adulteration and usage of chemical compounds adversely affect the health of the people and causes kidney, liver and heart diseases and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the reaction of the Government thereto; and
- (d) the details of campaigns launched by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a): Artificial ripening of fruits by using acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide is  prohibited  under  sub - regulation  2.3.5  of  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Prohibition  and Restriction  to  Sales)  Regulations,  2016.  However,  under  proviso  to  said  sub - regulat on, ripening of fruits is allowed using ethylene gas at a concentration upto 100 ppm. As information received from States/UT Governments, the details of samples of fresh fruit vegetables, analysed, found non -conforming and action taken during the last two years is at Annexure-I  and  Annexure -I I.  For  the  year  2015 - 16,  consolidated  data  relating  to  all  food products only is available, which is at Annexure -III.
- (b): Calcium carbide used by unscrupulous traders to release acetylene gas for arti icial ripening of fruits contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus which is harmful for huma may cause dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, skin ulcer, etc. The use of this chemical for ripening of fru its is banned in India.
- ( c) & (d): The  Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has developed a Guidance Note No.04/2018 on  "ARTIFICIAL RIPENING OF FRUITS -Ethylene gas - A safe  fruit  ripener'  and  shared  through  its  website  i.e. www.fssai.gov.in and  social  media handles. The purpose of this guidance note is to create awareness related to different aspects ofartificial  ripening  of  fruits  among  food  business  operators/traders,  consumers  an safety officials. A social media campaign around artificial ripening of fruits was also ru FSSAI. The campaign focused on spreading information about prohibition on use of calci carbide; tips for consumers and vendors; role of food safety officials etc. I n association with the Department of Consumer Affairs, Govt. of India under a joint campaign under the a of  'Jago  Grahak  Jago',  an  advertisement  on  artificially  ripened  fruits  was  published  in newspapers PAN India.

## Annexure-I

| Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2016- 31st Mar 2017)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                                             | No. of Samples Analyzed                                                           | No. of Samples found non- conforming                                              | No. of Cases Launched                                                             | No. of Cases Launched                                                             | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    |
|                                                                                   |                                                                                   |                                                                                   | Criminal                                                                          | Civil                                                                             | ConvictionsPenalties/                                                             | No.                                                                               | Penalties amount                                                                  |
| Arunachal Pradesh                                                                 | 3                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Dadra & Nagar Haveli                                                              | 30                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Delhi                                                                             | 24                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Goa                                                                               | 89                                                                                | 2                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Haryana                                                                           | 52                                                                                | 3                                                                                 |                                                                                   | 1                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Kerala                                                                            | 49                                                                                | 2                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Pradesh Madhya Pradesh                                                            | 8                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Maharashtra                                                                       | 159                                                                               | 31                                                                                | 24                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Puducherry                                                                        | 5                                                                                 | 1                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Punjab                                                                            | 38                                                                                | 9                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                        | 16                                                                                | 8                                                                                 | 3                                                                                 | 4                                                                                 | 4                                                                                 | 5                                                                                 | 46000                                                                             |
| Telangana                                                                         | 255                                                                               | 130                                                                               | 68                                                                                | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                                     | 39                                                                                | 7                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 2                                                                                 | 160000                                                                            |
| Total                                                                             | 767                                                                               | 193                                                                               | 95                                                                                | 5                                                                                 | 4                                                                                 | 7                                                                                 | 206000                                                                            |

Source: States/UTs;

## Annexure-II

| Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   | Testing report data for Fresh Fruits & Vegetable(1st April 2017- 31st Mar 2018)   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| State                                                                             | No. of Samples Analyzed                                                           | No. of Samples found non- conforming                                              | No. of Cases Launched                                                             | No. of Cases Launched                                                             | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    | No. of Convictions / Penalties                                                    |
|                                                                                   |                                                                                   |                                                                                   | Criminal                                                                          | Civil                                                                             | Convictions                                                                       | Penalties/ No.                                                                    | Penalties amount                                                                  |
| Andhra Pradesh                                                                    | 463                                                                               | 114                                                                               | 67                                                                                | 03                                                                                | 16                                                                                | 06                                                                                | 79500                                                                             |
| Bihar                                                                             | 21                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 01                                                                                | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Chandigarh                                                                        | 22                                                                                | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Chhattisgarh                                                                      | 04                                                                                | 02                                                                                | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Goa                                                                               | 91                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Gujarat                                                                           | 78                                                                                | 07                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Haryana                                                                           | 24                                                                                | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | 02                                                                                |                                                                                   | 02                                                                                | 8000                                                                              |
| Karnataka                                                                         | 08                                                                                | 1                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Kerala                                                                            | 148                                                                               | 07                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                                    | 02                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Maharashtra                                                                       | 119                                                                               | 08                                                                                | 03                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Manipur                                                                           | 10                                                                                | 1                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Odisha                                                                            | 16                                                                                | 02                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Punjab                                                                            | 243                                                                               | 14                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 01                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 01                                                                                | 12000                                                                             |
| Rajasthan                                                                         | 11                                                                                | 02                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Tamil Nadu                                                                        | 36                                                                                | 18                                                                                | 1                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 | -                                                                                 |
| Tripura                                                                           | 03                                                                                | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 | 0                                                                                 |
| Uttar Pradesh                                                                     | 49                                                                                | 22                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 03                                                                                | 01                                                                                | 03                                                                                | 24000                                                                             |
| Total                                                                             | 1348                                                                              | 199                                                                               | 74                                                                                | 11                                                                                | 17                                                                                | 12                                                                                | 123500                                                                            |

Source: States/UTs

## Annexure-III

| Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   | Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   | Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   | Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   | Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   | Statement regarding number of samples of food products examined, found non- confirming and prosecution launched during 1 st April 2015 to 31 st March, 2016   |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Year                                                                                                                                                          | No. of samples analysed                                                                                                                                       | No. of samples found non- confirming                                                                                                                          | No. of Civil/ Criminal cases Launched                                                                                                                         | Convictions                                                                                                                                                   | No. of cases in which Penalties imposed / Amount raised                                                                                                       |
| 2015-16                                                                                                                                                       | 72499                                                                                                                                                         | 16133                                                                                                                                                         | 9979                                                                                                                                                          | 540                                                                                                                                                           | 3669/Rs.21,65,98,989                                                                                                                                          |

Source: States/UTs