Sri Lanka Cracks Down on Toxic Chemical Fruit Ripening

The Sri Lankan government is set to introduce legal provisions to curb the use of toxic chemicals for artificial fruit ripening. Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe announced the move, citing numerous consumer complaints received by the Consumer Affairs Authority. The initiative aims to ensure consumer health safety and prevent the sale of fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papayas ripened with unauthorized substances. Discussions were held to examine legal barriers and enforcement strategies for this new regulatory program.