Jammu, May 27 -- Fruit dealers in Jammu have asserted that watermelon remains safe for consumption, saying that while the recent Mumbai rat poison case has affected prices of the seasonal fruit, its overall sale has largely remained unaffected.
The concern emerged after a tragic incident in Mumbai's Pydhonie area, where four members of the Dokadia family allegedly died after consuming a watermelon contaminated with zinc phosphide, a highly toxic chemical commonly used in rat poison.
"The sale has not been affected much, but the Mumbai episode has definitely hit the prices," Rajesh Gupta, former president of Narwal Fruit Mandi, Jammu told UNI.
"Before news of the Mumbai incident surfaced, watermelon was being sold at Rs 15-25 per kilogram...