Use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits rampant
Tribune News Service
Patiala, May 17
Though use of harmful chemical calcium carbide for ripening fruits is banned, the practice continues unhindered in wholesale fruit markets of the district and there is hardly any monitoring by the authorities to check this practice.
According to sources in the Health Department, calcium carbide is being used by several persons dealing with wholesale business of fruits in various mandis of the district.
Quoting some instances, sources said over 50 tonnes of bananas reached this mandi daily from different parts of the country, including Punjab, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, of this, 20 tonnes is sold every day. “As natural ripening of banana takes time, the traders use calcium carbide to subvert the period of natural ripening in order to meet the demand on time. Same is done with mangoes to make it ripe early,” they said.
Notwithstanding the fact that ripened artificially with calcium carbide, the fruits, including bananas, papayas and mangos, put the people at the risk of cancer, headache, dizziness, sleep disorders and even memory loss, the health authorities are yet to act tough against violators.
It is pertinent to mention here that, the fruits ripened with calcium carbide are overly soft but are inferior in taste and flavour and have a shorter shelf life. Such fruits may develop uniform attractive surface colour, but the tissue inside would not be ripe or may remain green or raw.
Calcium carbide is a dangerous and corrosive chemical. Carbide ripened fruits on consumption cause several harmful effects to human health.
When contacted, Patiala Civil Surgeon Balwinder Singh said he had already instructed the District Health Officer to take strict action against anyone found involved in such practices.
What is calcium carbide
Calcium carbide is a dangerous and corrosive chemical. Carbide ripened fruits on consumption cause several harmful effects to human health. The fruits ripened with calcium carbide are overly soft but are inferior in taste and flavour and have a shorter shelf life. Such fruits may develop uniform attractive surface colour, but the tissue inside would not be ripe or may remain green or raw.
