Telangana promotes ethylene formate for fruit ripening through prohibited calcium carbide

Poster from Telagana Food Safety Department explains how to use Ethephon ripe fruit. |Picture source: Arrangement

With the mango season approaching, Telangana Food Safety Department launched awareness promotion on Monday (April 21, 2025), urging farmers, businessmen and consumers to adopt a safe approach to ripening fruits. Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha, who issued the poster, said artificial maturation using prohibited chemicals such as calcium carbide calcium carbide has caused serious health hazards and is strictly prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards Act

Recommended for controlling mature Ethephon

Instead, the department recommends the use of Ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphate), a safer alternative approved for control of maturity. According to the guidelines, a 500mg acetate is enough to ripen 10 kg of fruit.

Why use Ethephon?

Ethephon is a plant growth regulator that is commonly used in tilling to help fruits mature faster, promote flowering or make leaves and fruits fall easily for harvest.

How to use Ethephon ripe fruit?

To use chemicals correctly, first soak the ethylene bag in water and then put it in a small plastic container, such as a soap box. This box must then be placed in a sealed fruit box, which should be sealed for 24 hours as per the information in the poster to ensure effective maturity.

If a violation occurs, people can call 9100105795 to Lodge for complaint.