A team of officers led by Shivamogga sub-division Assistant Commissioner H.P.S. Mythri conducted surprise inspections at areca godowns in Bullapura, on the outskirts of the city, on Monday and collected samples to check whether chemicals had been used during processing.

The exercise followed complaints that areca merchants were using chemicals to enhance the colour and shine of the nuts. Several truckloads of areca were recently seized in neighbouring Maharashtra over similar concerns.

Ms. Mythri told the merchants that the use of chemicals could pose serious health hazards to consumers, besides hurting the market for local areca growers in the long run. She warned that farmers would face heavy losses if the region’s produce lost its reputation in the market because of chemical use.

The officers collected samples from the godown for laboratory testing. Ms. Mythri said the district administration would take action against those concerned if the tests confirmed the use of chemicals. She urged farmers and merchants to ensure proper processing of areca without resorting to chemical treatment.

The team included Tahsildar V.S. Rajiv, among others. Officials of the Revenue Department have been conducting surprise inspections of roadside eateries and hotels in the city to check the quality of food served and hygiene standards. The team recently ordered the closure of two juice shops in the city.