Calcium carbide is a chemical that is widely used by farmers and vendors in India to swiftly speed up the artificial process of ripening fruits like bananas, papaya, and especially mangoes. New Delhi: ‘Mango is the king of fruits’, well this is rightly said and assumed by many people. Additionally, with the advent of summer, the sweet treats of mangoes also start in almost every household.
But do you know, the mangoes that you eat are not all naturally ripened on the trees? In the recent past, we have come across multiple reports and news about the harmful chemicals used in various food products to keep them fresh and intact. Well, the same is happening with mangoes. As per reports, most of the mangoes supplied in the market these days are ripened by calcium carbide.
Calcium carbide is a chemical that is widely used by farmers and vendors in India to swiftly speed up the artificial process of ripening fruits like bananas, papaya, and especially mangoes. It is one of the cheapest and easily available in the market which justifies why it is widely used by farmers. In conversation with News9 , Dr Manjusha Agarwal , Senior Consultant Internal Medicine Gleneagles Hospitals Parel Mumbai said, “Eating mangoes that are ripened with calcium carbide can cause harmful side effects and lead to serious health issues.
In India, using calcium carbide for ripening fruits has been strictly banned by the Indian government under the regulation of FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority.
