MAPUSA
The mangoes were then transported in a pick-up van and destroyed at the Housing Board dump site, Mapusa.
After getting credible information, the enforcement staff of the Directorate of the Food & Drugs Administration raided several houses/godowns at Siolim in the wee hours of Friday and recovered artificially (chemically) ripened mangoes from the custody of Sushant Banaulikar of Odxel.
The enforcement staff and FDA officials inspected several mango vendors in Odxel where large quantities of raw mangoes were found stored allegedly for undertaking artificial ripening.
“A stock of mangoes was found in the house of Sushant Banaulikar which was being artificially ripened using the chemical ‘ethopen/ethereal’. Several empty plastic bottles of the chemical were found at his backyard,” a source in FDA said.
The officials also seized equipment viz buckets, plastic tubs, plastic baskets, etc, used to prepare the chemical solution from the site.
A special team of laboratory analysts of the FDA laboratory who accompanied and assisted the enforcement officials at the site, conducted spot analytical identification tests of the chemical used for the artificial ripening.
“The analytical results confirmed the presence of residual chemical on the said mango fruits. The owner, Sushant Banaulikar, also admitted of having conducted the artificial ripening of mangoes,” the source said further.
The enforcement officials have been conducting a sustained surveillance over the activities of artificial ripening of mangoes and other fruits in the last 15 days at Siolim in North Goa as well as at Gandhi Market, Malbhat, Zari-vaddo and other areas at Margao in South Goa.
