Woman arrested over sale of unapproved fruit-ripening chemicals

The World Health Organisation (WHO) considers chemicals in food a global public health concern and says substances deliberately added to food should undergo appropriate safety assessments before being approved for specific uses.

Ethylene, a naturally occurring plant hormone, plays a role in fruit ripening, and the controlled use of approved ethylene-based processes is recognised in some food safety systems.

They called on the Municipal Assembly and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to expand surveillance of fruit markets and take proactive measures to prevent the sale and use of potentially harmful substances.