Health hazards of consuming artificially ripened fruits

The practice has become COMMON in the lastfour to five years

It is that time of the year when the shelves of fruit shops and larders of most residents are filled with the ‘king of fruits’.

The sale of mangoes shoots through the roof in the summer season. The demand during peak season is estimated to exceed 50 tonnes for every three days in the district.

This is far higher than what the market can supply. As a result, carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents are being used to ripen the fruits quickly for higher volume of sales, says R. Kathiravan, Designated officer of Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety wing).

The chemicals used for artificial ripening of fruits can cause cancer. Food Safety Officers seized 370 kg of artificially ripened mangoes from a fruit outlet on Race Course on Monday.

In the past four to five years, the practice of artificial ripening has become prevalent in Coimbatore district. Coimbatore has 50 wholesale fruit dealers with around 15 of them dealing exclusively with mangoes during this season. It happens not only in smaller units but even bigger ones.

Artificially ripened mangoes can be spotted through a careful examination of the fruit. They will lack the aroma and will be less juicy compared to the naturally ripened ones.

Fruits that are artificially ripened will be having uniform colour throughout the skin, which will not be the case in naturally ripened fruits. If a person holds it in his hand, they can feel the difference between artificially and naturally ripened mangoes.

These fruits will also be difficult to cut and the inside will be white in colour rather than yellow.

As calcium carbide was an industrial grade product, it contained arsenic and lead participles. These toxic impurities affect the neurological system and reduce the oxygen supply to the brain. Consuming artificially ripened mangoes could result in sleeping disorders and headaches, memory loss, seizures, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, renal problems and possibly, even cancer, he says.

Ethephone, an insecticide, is another chemical used for the purpose. Some vendors also resort to burning kerosene stove or incense sticks in closed rooms to quicken the process of ripening, Dr. Kathiravan adds. All kind of fruits including guava, apples, pineapple, papaya and banana are artificially ripened. He points out that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Rules 2011) totally bans the practice of ripening of fruits in India.