Srinagar, March 14 -- Sajad Lone

The Food Safety Department of Kashmir on Thursday rebuked the claims as baseless about premature ripening of watermelons with the use of chemicals and assured that the department remains committed to maintaining stringent food safety standards.

Deputy Commissioner Food Safety Department Shugufta Jalal while exclusively speaking with Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that the experts, who specialise in food technology, have conducted rigorous tests across the region and that the claims of premature ripening are baseless.

She said that the tests include both surveillance and indepth analysis using advanced equipment, and the results have confirmed that the watermelons are safe for consumption.

She said tha...