Consumers can identify fruits that may have been artificially ripened with harmful chemicals by looking at how the ripening has occurred, according to Professor Rohitha Prashantha, chairman of the Institute of Post Harvest Technology Management.
Prashantha said commercial interests have contributed to the use of artificial fruit-ripening methods.
He explained that traditional methods included smoking fruits or using certain leaves to promote the production of ethylene, a natural plant hormone that triggers and accelerates ripening. He said accelerating the natural ethylene process is not considered harmful and is a practice used internationally.
However, he said concerns have arisen over the use of other chemicals, including acetylene. In Sri Lanka, one of the early concerns involved the misuse of carbide to ripen fruit.
Prashantha said carbide had originally been introduced by the Agriculture Department for producing acetylene, which can mimic the effects of ethylene, and was not intended to be applied directly to fruit. However, he said some traders began using carbide directly on large quantities of fruit to speed up the ripening process.
He said carbide can contain arsenic and phosphorus compounds that are toxic, which led to restrictions on its use for fruit ripening.
Prashantha said consumers can also examine the pattern of ripening. Naturally ripening fruit generally begins to ripen from the stem, while fruit that appears to have ripened unevenly or in patches may indicate the use of artificial ripening methods.
He added that naturally ripened fruits generally develop their nutritional and taste qualities as they mature, while artificially ripened fruits may not develop the same qualities.
Prashantha urged consumers to remain vigilant when purchasing fruit and said commercial operators would be provided with the necessary technology and training to adopt safer, modern fruit-ripening practices. (Newswire)
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