Navi Mumbai: In one of the biggest food-safety crackdowns in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region this season, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has seized more than 3.4 tonnes of mangoes from the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) market in Vashi that were suspected to have been artificially ripened using unauthorised chemical sprays.The two-day operation, conducted under the directions of FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, resulted in the seizure of 3,453 kg of mangoes worth ₹11.12 lakh from three establishments in the wholesale fruit market, officials said. (Bachchan Kumar/Hindustan Times)The two-day operation, conducted under the directions of FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, resulted in the seizure of 3,453 kg of mangoes worth ₹11.12 lakh from three establishments in the wholesale fruit market, officials said.In simultaneous action across Navi Mumbai and Thane, the FDA also confiscated gutkha, pan masala and flavoured tobacco products worth ₹4.74 lakh, taking the total value of seized goods to ₹15.86 lakh, officials said. The drive against banned tobacco products resulted in 37 arrests and the closure of 31 establishments.FDA officials said inspections at the APMC market revealed the alleged use of ethylene-like sprays to hasten mango ripening. Samples of the seized mangoes have been sent for laboratory testing, and further action will depend on the findings.Officials clarified that while no evidence of calcium carbide—a banned ripening agent—was detected during the inspections, direct application of ethylene-like sprays on fruits is also prohibited under food-safety regulations. Fruits can only be ripened through approved ethylene chamber systems operated under controlled conditions.The action followed information shared with the FDA regarding a facility in Sanpada where mangoes were allegedly being sprayed with chemicals. “The use of unauthorised chemicals in the food chain is a serious public-health concern. Strict action will be taken wherever violations are established,” said an FDA official associated with the operation.The APMC operation forms part of a wider enforcement campaign launched by Mundhe soon after taking charge as FDA commissioner. Officials said the department has intensified surprise inspections across wholesale markets, food processing units, and retail establishments amid concerns about food adulteration and illegal tobacco sales.During a recent statewide drive, FDA teams registered 25 FIRs, arrested 33 persons and sealed 27 establishments in cases linked to banned tobacco products and food adulteration. The department also detected 34 locations allegedly involved in the manufacture or sale of banned gutkha, pan masala and tobacco products, leading to seizures collectively valued at around ₹20.48 crore, officials said.In the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the FDA’s Thane division also conducted raids in Thane, Ulhasnagar and Rabale, seizing suspected substandard edible oil, ghee, farsan and noodle products worth more than ₹7.30 lakh.Mundhe said those who compromise public health through food adulteration, banned products, or misleading practices would face stringent action. “Those playing with public health will not be spared,” he said.The FDA has appealed to citizens to report suspected cases of food adulteration and illegal tobacco sales through its toll-free helpline: 1800-222-365.