FDA seizes 1,394kg of banana from an APMC in Navi Mumbai allegedly being treated with a banned chemical to make the ripe

Food safety officials have seized nearly 1.4 tonnes of bananas from a stall at the APMC Fruit Market in Turbhe after allegedly finding a worker using a plant growth regulator to artificially ripen the fruit by dipping it directly into a chemical solution, as per a TOI report.

Acting on a tip-off, a food safety officer, accompanied by panch witnesses, inspected the stall and allegedly found bananas being treated with BTHILEX, labelled as Ethephon 39% soluble liquid, a plant growth regulator.