Carbide ripened fruits
NAFDAC says Carbide ripened fruits are bad. Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, stated that eating fruits ripened with calcium carbide may cause cancer, heart failure, renal failure, and liver failure.
Prof Adeyeye further stated that fruits ripened with calcium carbide might induce excessive thirst, mouth and nose discomfort, weakness, irreversible skin damage, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers.
Adeyeye made the remarks on Tuesday at the official start of the agency’s media sensitization session on the dangers of drug hawking and fruit ripening with calcium carbides.
She stated that carbide-induced fruit ripening is a public health concern, and that the agency has taken a holistic approach to combat the problem.
“Among other things, fruits provide the body with micronutrients that improve immunity and prevent disease.” Fruit ripening is a distinct component of plant development that causes the fruit to become edible, softer, sweeter, more tasty, nutritious, and appealing.
“However, eating fruits like mango, banana, plantain, guava, orange, grape, and so on that have been ripened with calcium carbide is hazardous to one’s health.”
“Fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide may be ripe on the skin, but the inside remains unripe. You can identify such artificially ripened fruits if you notice that the fruits are all yellow whereas the stem is dark, this is true, especially with bananas and plantains. In addition, naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots, while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly,” she said.
The NAFDAC DG stated that artificial ripening of fruit quality results in significant loss of attributes such as color, taste, and feel, and that such method does not provide the fruits with natural aroma and flavor.
“These fruits do not have uniform color, are less juicy than naturally ripened fruits, and have a comparatively shorter shelf life.” When calcium carbide is sprayed with water, it chemically interacts to form acetylene, which operates similarly to ethylene and ripens crops in a similar manner.
“In general, calcium carbide contains impurities such as arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus, and others that pose a number of very serious health risks.” Consumption of fruits containing these contaminants may result in cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure. They may also induce frequent thirst, mouth and nose discomfort, weakness, chronic skin damage, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, skin ulcers, and other symptoms. Increased exposure may result in unwanted fluid buildup in the lungs.
“Acetylene produced by calcium carbide has an effect on the neurological system, reducing oxygen supply to the brain and causing prolonged hypoxia.” “The impurities are dangerous to pregnant women and children because they can cause headaches, dizziness, mood disturbances, mental confusion, memory loss, swelling in the brain caused by excess fluids, sleepiness, seizure, and other symptoms,” she explained.
She went on to say that calcium carbide is an alkaline substance that erodes mucosal tissue in the abdominal region and affects digestive functioning.
“Consuming such artificially ripened fruits may cause sleeping problems, mouth ulcers, skin rashes, kidney problems, and even cancer.” Other symptoms of poisoning include diarrhoea, a burning or tingling sensation in the abdomen and chest, difficulty swallowing, irritation in the eyes and skin, a sore throat, a cough, shortness of breath, and numbness,” she said.
She also stated that the agency has commissioned a scientific study to determine the best strategy to reducing the health risks caused by early ripening of fruits.