RAW TO RIPE IN 24 HOURS MANGOES COULD BE RIPE WITH TROUBLE

It’s No Longer Just Traders; Farmers Too Are Using Chemicals To Turn King Of Fruits Yellow Faster

Garbed in a rich yellow coat with a smattering of green, the ‘king’ of fruits rests in the cool interiors of retail outlets or sits in dusty roadside stalls, waiting to be picked. For many customers, mangoes are the first choice this season but few realize that look of the fruit has little to do with its lineage and more with the chemicals used to ripen it. 

With mangoes off to a weak start this summer, there is a rise in instances of the fruits being artificially ripened to meet the growing demand. Officials in the food safety department are gearing up to net vendors indulging in the practice, but say it is going to be tough to curb it this year as farmers themselves are resorting to the practice. 

“Usually artificial ripening — most commonly with calcium carbide — is done once the produce reaches the vendors,” said a senior official in the food safety department. “But following the raids we conducted last year, we believe that vendors are asking farmers to use chemicals to avoid being caught,” he said. 

Starting this week, the food safety department will undertake a series of raids at godowns in Koyambedu, T Nagar and Mylapore. “If chemicals like calcium carbide are used, the fruits become ripe within 24 hours instead of, say, 72 hours. This time with the supply being low, we have stepped up vigilance,” said the official. 

Farmers clear all the fruits from the tree at one go, including mangoes that are green. The harvest is transported to a godown by vendors and retailers and artificially ripened with calcium carbide, which is reported to have carcinogenic effects, and ethephon, an insecticide. Another method involves lighting a kerosene stove or incense sticks in closed rooms and ‘smoking’ the fruits till the skin turns yellow. Experts say these mangoes look bright yellow and have a longer shelf life but are dangerous to eat. 

Calcium carbide is banned under Section 44A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but is widely used by fruit merchants. The chemical in solid form is kept wrapped in paper among the fruits. It reacts with water to form acetylene, which catalyses the ripening process. 

Many vendors admitted to indulging in the practice to meet the demand. “People often pick mangoes that look big and yellow. It is hard to find such mangoes if you let them ripen naturally,” said K Ramesh, a vendor in Koyambedu, who said he adopted artificial methods occasionally. “The demand is high and supply weak,” he said. 

Medical experts say calcium carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which could damage the kidney and liver and cause ulcers and gastric problems. “If they are artificially ripened, mangoes could pose serious health hazards even if they are eaten in moderate measure,” said surgical gastroenterologist Dr R Surendran, citing diarrhoea and abdominal cramps as examples of medical problems. 

ekatha.ann@timesgroup.com SPOT THE DIFFERENCE | A few pointers to help you distinguish an artificially ripened mango from an organic one 

Colour: Artificially ripened mango will have patches of green that will be clearly distinguishable from the yellow, or an unnaturally bright yellow colour. The skin of a naturally ripened mango will be a uniform blend of yellow and green 

Taste: 

Artificially ripened mangoes cause a slight burning sensation in the mouth Colour of pulp: In a naturally ripened mango, the pulp is a bright reddish-yellow. In an artificially ripened mango, there will be patches of light and dark yellow Juice: A naturally ripened mango will be sweet and have a lot of juice,  while artificially ripened ones have little or no juice