Fruits we eat are loaded with chemicals

 

“Fruits and vegetables are known to be possessing antioxidant and anti-ageing factors. If they are a source of harmful chemicals as well, then are we heading towards fitness or otherwise?

Fresh colourful fruits and vegetables are a beautiful sight, commonly seen in this season of the year. Health consultants highly recommend fruits and salads in their prescriptions and we take the best advantage of the availability of the range of variety in the markets. But how close we are to nature, when we are consuming these fruits is a very big question mark. Fruits and vegetables are known to be possessing antioxidant and anti-ageing factors. If they are a source of harmful chemicals as well, then are we heading towards fitness or otherwise?

In recent times, there is much concern about artificial ripening of fruits. Though fruits like mango naturally ripen in trees; some chemicals are used to ripen them artificially which hasten the ripening process. Ripe fruits are not suitable to carry and distribute as they get rotten. So traders pick unripe fruits and use certain methods to increase their shelf life.

For many years, ethylene had been used as a fruit ripening agent, but nowadays ethane, calcium carbide and ethephon are commonly used for faster ripening. But inappropriate use of these chemicals to ripen fruits is associated with many health hazards.

Ripening is a process in fruits that causes them to become edible. Globally, the ripening is done through gas emission systems or ethylene generator systems, depending on quality and shelf life desired.

"Fruits like bananas ripened through scientific ways will have uniform colour, good taste and longer shelf life. The market is evolving and awareness is slowly growing. Currently, small volume of banana traded goes through scientific ripening process," says B Thiagarajan, president, air-conditioning & refrigeration products group, Blue Star Ltd, which offers gas emission ripening systems as well as ethylene generator systems.

Ill-effects of artificial ripening
- Ethylene is known to cause damage to the neurological system, affects the eyes, skin, lungs, memory and leads to prolonged hypoxia (lack of oxygen supply).

s-vbs