Carbide ripened fruits
Consumption of fruits that have been ripened with calcium
carbide may result in cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure,
according to Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
Additionally, Prof. Adeyeye stated that foods ripened with
calcium carbide may result in frequent thirst, mouth and nose discomfort,
weakness, irreversible skin damage, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and skin
ulcers.
Adeyeye made this statement on Tuesday during the formal
launch of the agency's media education session on the risks of drug hawking and
fruit-ripening with calcium carbides.
According to her, the ripening of fruits with carbide is a
public problem, and the agency has employed a diverse strategy to combat the
problem.
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"Among the additional benefits, fruits offer the body
vitamins that boost defenses against illness and prevent sickness. Fruit
ripening is a distinctive feature of plant growth that transforms fruit into
edible, appetizing, sweeter, more appealing, wholesome, and desirable fruits.
"On the other hand, it is harmful to your health to eat
fruits like mango, banana, plantain, guava, orange, and grapes, as well as any
other fruits that have been ripened with calcium carbide.
"Fruits that have been artificially ripened with
calcium carbide may appear to be ripe on the outside but are still unripe
inside. This is true, especially with bananas and plantains; however, you can
tell if you look at the fruits to see that they are all yellow while the stem
is dark. Furthermore, fruits that are naturally ripened typically have brown or
black marks, whereas fruits that are artificially ripened have traces of powdery
chemicals and peel off quickly," she added
The NAFDAC DG highlighted that artificially ripening fruit
results in a significant loss of qualities like color, taste, and feel and
that this method deprives fruits of their inherent aroma and flavor.
The aforementioned fruits have a significantly lower shelf
life and less uniform color and juiciness than naturally ripened fruits. When
calcium carbide is sprayed with water, it chemically interacts to make
acetylene, which works similarly to ethylene to ripen fruit.
Arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus, and other contaminants
that pose several extremely serious health risks are frequently found in
calcium carbide. Consuming fruits that contain these pollutants can result in
cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure. They might also
result in constant thirst, mouth and nose discomfort, weakness, lasting skin
damage, swallowing difficulties, vomiting, skin ulcers, and other issues. A
buildup of unwanted fluid in the lungs could result in further exposure.
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"The neurological system is impacted by acetylene created by calcium carbide, which also limits the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain and causes chronic hypoxia. The pollutants can induce headache, dizziness, mood swings, mental confusion, memory loss, swelling in the brain brought on by an excess of fluids, sleepiness, seizures, and other symptoms in youngsters and pregnant women, according to the expert.
She went on to say that calcium carbide is an alkaline
substance that erodes belly mucosal tissue and impairs intestinal function.
Consuming these fruits that have been artificially ripened
could cause cancer, kidney issues, skin rashes, mouth ulcers, and sleep
disturbances. She added that additional poisoning symptoms include diarrhea, a
burning or tingling sensation in the chest and belly, difficulty swallowing,
irritation of the eyes and skin, a sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and
numbness.
She continued by saying that the FDA had commissioned a
scientific investigation to determine the best strategy for reducing the risks
to human health caused by the use of carbides in fruit ripening.
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KEYWORDS:
- How to identify fruits ripened with calcium carbide
- Artificial ripening of fruits
- Harmful effects of artificial ripening of fruits
- Natural ripening of fruits
- Role of ethylene in fruit ripening
- Fruit ripening process
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