Through a notification dated 23 August 2016, the FSSAI had made amendments in the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 regarding the inclusion of Ethylene gas for ripening of fruits, The FSSAI had made the draft amendments public through a gazette notification on 11 May 2016. The FSSAI also received objections and suggestions for the same and keeping those in mind the FSSAI has now amended the regulation. Once notified in the Official Gazette the amendment will be known as the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibitions and Restriction on Sales) Second Amendment Regulation, 2016 regarding the inclusion of the use of Ethylene gas for ripening of fruits.
In the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 in regulation related to ‘Prohibition and Restriction on sale of certain products’ in the category related to Prohibition of use of carbide gas in the ripening of fruits,’ the FSSAI has now permitted the use of ethylene gas.
In the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 there was prohibition on the use of carbide gas; “No person shall sell or offer or expose for sale or have in his premises for the purpose of sale under any description, fruits which have been artificially ripened by use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas”.
Food Safety and Standards (Prohibitions and Restriction on Sales) Second Amendment Regulation, 2016 the FSSAI has permitted the use of Ethylene gas in the artificial ripening of fruits with a proviso which reads as; that ethylene gas may be used “Provided that fruits may be artificially ripened by use of Ethylene gas at a concentration up to 100 ppm (100µl/L) depending upon the crop, variety, and maturity”.
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