B
ecause of their delicious taste and nutrition value, fruits are much in demand in the market. However, most fruits, including mangoes, bananas and guavas are
harvested when raw, because ripe fruit are more prone to damage during handling, transport and storage. They are then ripened at the destination markets before being sold. Because natural ripening is a time-consuming process, traders commonly resort to unscrupulous methods to ripen the fruits artificially and make extra profits. One such method is by bringing the fruits in contact with calcium carbide, a chemical.
The ripening of fruits is regulated by a gaseous hormone called ethylene. When a small quantity of calcium carbide
is kept in a closed box of fruit, the moisture content of the fruit acts on it to bring about a chemical reaction. Acetylene, an analogue of ethylene, is produced. This intensifies the ripening process.
However, the use of calcium carbide has many dangerous side-effects. It contains poisons such as arsenic and phosphorus and has cancer-causing properties. It affects the neurological system, causing headaches, dizziness, mental confusion, seizures, numbness and tingling. It also affects the stomach, causing vomiting and diarrhoea. It is especially harmful for children.
Apart from these harmful effects, there is also the fact that artificial ripening destroys vitamins A and C as well as other
nutrients abundant in the fruit. Further, the fruits thus ripened are overly soft and less tasty, and have a shorter shelf life. So, in India this practice has been banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. However, despite the ban, traders all over the country continue to use calcium carbide (illegally) to ripen fruits (mainly mangoes and bananas, but also apples, guavas and papayas).
There is no foolproof method of finding out whether the fruit in your market has been ripened with calcium carbide. However, the following tips have been recommended for safety. As far as possible, buy only fruits that are in season.
Fruits that are in the market before the due period are almost certain to have been ripened artificially; so, avoid these. Also,
wash fruits thoroughly before consumption. Keeping the fruit under running water for a few minutes washes away the
chemicals. Finally, watch out for fruits that have a uniform colour and an especially tempting external appearance these are the ones that are most likely to have been artificially ripened.
ecause of their delicious taste and nutrition value, fruits are much in demand in the market. However, most fruits, including mangoes, bananas and guavas are
harvested when raw, because ripe fruit are more prone to damage during handling, transport and storage. They are then ripened at the destination markets before being sold. Because natural ripening is a time-consuming process, traders commonly resort to unscrupulous methods to ripen the fruits artificially and make extra profits. One such method is by bringing the fruits in contact with calcium carbide, a chemical.
The ripening of fruits is regulated by a gaseous hormone called ethylene. When a small quantity of calcium carbide
is kept in a closed box of fruit, the moisture content of the fruit acts on it to bring about a chemical reaction. Acetylene, an analogue of ethylene, is produced. This intensifies the ripening process.
Apart from these harmful effects, there is also the fact that artificial ripening destroys vitamins A and C as well as other
nutrients abundant in the fruit. Further, the fruits thus ripened are overly soft and less tasty, and have a shorter shelf life. So, in India this practice has been banned under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. However, despite the ban, traders all over the country continue to use calcium carbide (illegally) to ripen fruits (mainly mangoes and bananas, but also apples, guavas and papayas).
There is no foolproof method of finding out whether the fruit in your market has been ripened with calcium carbide. However, the following tips have been recommended for safety. As far as possible, buy only fruits that are in season.
Fruits that are in the market before the due period are almost certain to have been ripened artificially; so, avoid these. Also,
wash fruits thoroughly before consumption. Keeping the fruit under running water for a few minutes washes away the
chemicals. Finally, watch out for fruits that have a uniform colour and an especially tempting external appearance these are the ones that are most likely to have been artificially ripened.
