Dhangadhi: Dhangadhi Sub-Metropolis City has disposed of 2,267 kg of mango laced with chemicals. A joint market monitoring conducted by Sub-Metropolis, the Food Technology and Quality Control Office, and the Pesticide Residue Rapid Test Lab, Attariya found the mango contaminated with pesticide and destroyed it.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the pesticide residue was found excessive in the fruit, leading to its destruction, as explained by Mahesh Malla, chief of the consumer welfare section at Sub-Metropolis. The team inspected three bazaars of vegetables and fruits during the monitoring process.
The samples were collected from the local Agriculture Retail Market, Dakchhinkali Road Vegetable Market, and Hat Bazaar of Chauraha, Dhangadhi, and were subjected to lab tests. The tests revealed excessive pesticide use in mango, cucumber, banana, grapes, apple, pomegranate, tomato, and okra. Among these, mango was deemed the worst and inedible, thus necessitating its destruction, Malla added.
Hareram Pradhan, Chief of Food Technology and Quality Control Office, informed that mango, among the fruits, was found to have excessive pesticide residue. The contaminated fruits were imported from India.
Eighteen samples were tested, and the mango sample showed 61 percent pesticide residue, prompting the authorities to take action. However, the remaining 17 samples were deemed edible, as they contained only minimal chemical residue, allowing them to be consumed.