Shiny mango caught your eye at the grocery store? You probably will do well to avoid that seduction. For all you know, that shiny mango is pumped full of arsenic and phosphorus. Recently, the Chennai Corporation had to destroy over 16 tonnes of shiny mangoes, which had been artificially ripened. These fruits had apparently been plucked raw and then packed around cups of calcium carbonate in a godown that ripens it literally overnight.
“What otherwise takes three to four days is ripe within 12 hours straight,” says P. Kugananthan, Corporation Health Officer. Apart from calcium carbonate, a new method is to immerse the fruits in ethylene solution to ripen them faster. Both these compounds are hazardous as they contain arsenic and phosphorous.
“Both these substances can affect the soft tissue of the gastrointestinal tract – the mouth, throat, aesophagus, stomach, intestines. The result would be ulcers,: he adds. Apart from this, gastritis, vomiting, diarrhoea, and bloody stools can also occur. Over the long term, they can also be carcinogenic.
Actual damage to the person who consumes these foods would depend on the dosage and quantity consumed over a period of time. The toxins can be deposited in the liver and kidney, leading to organ failure too.
The consumer of today is spoilt for choice in the variety of food that lines the shelves of the supermarket. Wet food, dry food, packaged food, fruits, vegetables are all available in a greater variety than before, says K.Sadasivam, joint director, Directorate of Public Health. However, not all this food is safe, he adds.
“Mangoes, bananas and papayas are set to ripen unnaturally. Calcium carbonate is the cheapest and fastest means of doing this, so traders have dropped their earlier practise of letting fruits ripen in rice godowns or when covered with straw,” he explains. Apples are shiny because of a coating of wax. Colour is injected into watermelons to make them look more attractive. As for honey, Dr. Sadasivam says, if it is being made in apiaries, there is a good chance you can find antibiotic residues. Some packets of rice batter were found to be contaminated with bacteria.
For consumers, awareness about the possibilities of contamination and health outcomes on consuming certain products is the first step. “Question your vendor. For instance, if idly batter was made in hygienic conditions. Then, the vendors too will perforce check the antecedents of the products they are selling,” he says.
Part of this awareness is recognising that a product has been tampered with. Fruits set to ripen artificially will invariably have a shine on them, a dusty coating on the skin and will be of the same colour, explains Dr. Kugananthan.
Whether ripened naturally or unnaturally, a must-do is to wash the fruits thoroughly in running water, and wherever possible, remove the peel, Dr. Kugananthan adds. Another tip for the consumer conscious of what he puts in his mouth is to honour expiry dates mentioned on the pack, especially for wet and canned foods, Dr. Sadasivam insists.
