350 kilos of artificially ripened bananas destroyed

This consignment worth around eighteen thousand rupees was confiscated and later destroyed by officials.

A case under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 has been booked against the fruit wholesaler.

 According to the Director, Goa FDA Salim Veljee, during the raid officials found that one Mapusa based fruit wholesaler was artificially ripening bananas in the yard using Ethepon, a plant growth regulator agent.

FDA officials were accompanied by the FDA Food Testing Laboratory staff. They conducted spot verification test of the exposure of residual chemical on the fruit. The test was positive.