The inspection revealed that bananas were treated with BTHILEX, which is prohibited for direct use on fruit (Visuals credit: X)
NAVI MUMBAI: Acting on a tip-off, a food safety officer with panch witnesses inspected a stall at APMC Fruit Market, Turbhe, and allegedly found a worker artificially ripening bananas by dipping them in BTHILEX, labelled Ethephon 39% soluble liquid, a plant growth regulator. The team seized 1,394kg of bananas, worth about Rs 67,814, stored for sale under Section 38 of the Food Safety and Standards Act , 2006. FDA officials said the product may be counterfeit or unregistered and is being referred for action under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
Because residues may pose human health risks, they said ethephon can only be used to generate ethylene gas; dipping fruit directly in it is prohibited. Stay updated with the latest Navi Mumbai news.
Officials said the seller claimed he mixed two caps of the chemical in five litres of water. Officials said the BTHILEX packaging carried apparently illegitimate manufacturer details, including address, pin code and contact number, and lacked a Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee registration number. Three statutory samples of bananas and a surveillance sample of the chemical solution were collected for analysis. Download the TOI App.