Government moves to curb toxic chemical use in fruit ripening

Colombo, July 20 (Daily Mirror) - The government has initiated discussions on introducing stricter measures to prevent the use of toxic chemicals for ripening fruits, amid growing consumer complaints over unsafe practices in the market.

A high-level discussion chaired by Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe was held at the Ministry today with the participation of Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Chairman Hemantha Samarakoon and officials from several state institutions, including the Department of Agriculture, Gannoruwa Agricultural Research Institute, Post-Harvest Technology Institute, Horana Fruit Research Institute, Sri Lanka Standards Institution and the Industrial Technology Institute.

During the meeting, the Minister said the CAA had received numerous complaints regarding fruits such as bananas, mangoes and guavas allegedly being ripened using various chemicals before being sold to consumers.

Officials discussed immediate measures to halt the use of toxic chemicals in fruit ripening while reviewing the existing legal framework and the challenges in enforcing current regulations.

Samarasinghe stressed the need for urgent regulatory action, noting that there has been insufficient research on the long-term health effects of consuming fruits ripened with toxic chemicals. He also said amendments to the Consumer Affairs Authority Act could be considered if existing laws prove inadequate to address the issue.

The meeting concluded with discussions on strengthening enforcement mechanisms and introducing stricter legal measures to protect consumers from unsafe fruit-ripening practices.