Use of chemical agent ethephon in measured quantity to ripen bananas will have no hazardous impact on human health, says the Indian Council of Agricultural Research  At a time when it has become necessary to check the usage of chemical agents for ripening fruits and vegetables, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) announced the practice to be safe in case of bananas. ICAR opines that measured use of the chemical agent ethephon in the range of 100-200 parts per million for banana ripening is safe for human consumption. ICAR also stated that not all chemicals are harmful for human health.
Speaking to a FoodProcessing360 correspondent, Dr V Sudarshan Rao, senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad states, “While there is no harm in ripening fruits artificially, excessive use of chemicals for the said purpose as a practice cannot be encouraged. For instance, use of calcium carbide is prohibited in the country, yet many use it for ripening fruits.”
How bananas are ripened
Bananas are picked when green and artificially ripened by being gassed with ethylene and thereafter loaded in ships. The use of ethylene gas in airtight hermetical rooms ensures availability of bananas, a fruit that is in huge demand among domestic consumers, in the market throughout the year, without any seasonal fluctuations.
In order to hasten the ripening process, bananas are also dipped in ethephon solution. Sometimes calcium chloride is also used to ripen bananas.
Health hazards
Artificial ripening using chemicals often tends to make fruits tasteless and toxic leading to various health disorders such as food poisoning, cancer, gastric irritation and mouth ulcers. In this context, Satish Shrivastava, food technologist and social activist from Uttar Pradesh, says, “Rampant usage of chemicals to ripen fruits such as guavas, bananas, apples and papayas, among others that are consumed regularly by consumers can gradually damage the human immune system. Therefore, its use should be banned.” Besides being hazardous for consumers, these chemicals are also explosive in nature and can cause blisters if touched with wet hands.
Shalmoli Kundu |
