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Indian market trader paints unripe fruit to boost sales

Indian market traders are spray-painting and dying fruit to make it appear more natural and boost sales, it has been claimed.

Footage passed to The Independent shows a man at stall in Dehli applying the paint to a mound of unripe lychees.

Despite the filmmaker warning him of the dangers, the trader explains he cannot wait for them to ripen and needs the money to survive.

India's food adulteration epidemic has long been an issue of concern, with food safety officers warning that milk, oil and spices are most commonly altered, along with fresh fruit and vegetables.

In 2015, India’s food regulator found 20% of Indian food had been adulterated in some way or misbranded.

Dyes and chemicals are used by some farmers to disguise unripe or rotting fruits and vegetables, including known carcinogens malachite green and calcium carbide.

Produce can also be coated in silicone or wax to give it a fresh-looking shine and to act as a preservative.

Read more at The Independent
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