Beware! Those juicy mangoes are toxic

Think twice before savouring the mangoes being sold in markets across New Delhi. If consumed, these mangoes, many of which are ripened artificially with harmful chemicals, can affect the neurological system and result in headache, dizziness, sleep disorder and other mental problems.

For the past few weeks, markets are full of mangoes and one can get the fruit at every nook and corner of residential colonies. A visit to the Azadpur fruit market revealed that the mandi is flooded with varieties of mangoes that are artificially ripened. According to traders, more than four lakh kilograms of mangoes reach the markets daily and around three lakh kg are sold in Delhi alone.

It may be difficult to resist the temptation, but experts warn that people should be careful about eating them. A. K. Singh, Head of the Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, said these mangoes are "premature" and are usually ripened with the help of calcium carbide. "These mangoes are plucked before reaching physiological maturity just for the purpose of profit-making. As it is premature, it can't ripen naturally. The natural method is simply letting the fruit ripen by itself. Fruits produce ethylene, which hastens ripening. But the mangoes being sold now can't produce ethylene and vendors use the chemical to ripen it," Singh said.

Although mango dealers agree with this fact, they try to give their side of the story. "Mangoes are arriving from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Farmers at those places pluck them prematurely because in that condition, they are more resistant to damage during handling, transport and storage before reaching the areas where they are sold. Otherwise, it will result in huge losses. Ripe fruits are soft and prone to damage," a mango dealer said.

A visit to the Azadpur market on Saturday revealed the real picture. Thousands of cartons of mangoes from the two states were ready for sale. All these mangoes were green and hard. Some people were found selling what they described as "masala" wrapped in small packets. They said the "masala" costs Rs.2 or Rs.3 a sachet. It was revealed that mango traders buy this "masala" to ripen the mangoes.

At some distance, some persons were found packing mangoes in cartons and one sachet of "masala" was placed over every layer. "This is the only way to ripen the mangoes. People would not buy them if they are green. It will take not more than a day for them to become ripe, turn yellow and be ready for eating," a trader said.

Another trader said the merchants would incur heavy losses if they did not usecalcium carbide. When asked about the possibility of authorities cracking down on the use of chemicals, a trader responded: "Nothing happens. Local officials are aware of this. This has been going on for years." Laws exist to prevent such practices, but experts say that there is lack of enforcement in the city. "Use of carbide is already banned by the government under rules to prevent food adulteration, but authorities are hardly enforcing them. Due to a lacklustre approach, middle men are easily making money out of this," Singh said.