Mangoes date with chemical

A trader in a mango wholesale market at Baneshar in Rajshahi scatter mangoes on the floor of a store to dry them off under a fan. The mangoes have been sprayed with ethephon, a chemical widely used for ripening fruits. Scientists say use of appropriate amount of ethephon in mangoes is permissible.Photo: Anisur Rahman

Nothing, not even the provision for capital punishment, can deter them.
The High Court on May 26 ordered prosecution of persons using harmful chemicals to ripen fruits, under the Special Powers Act, 1974 that provides for death as the maximum punishment.
Also, mobile courts are conducting drives in the capital as well as other cities to check the menace.
But still, a large number of orchard owners and traders across the country continue ripening mangoes with substance dangerous to public health.
During a visit to two big mango wholesale markets and orchards in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj last week, it was found that many producers and traders use calcium carbide on mangoes.
They hardly heed to the HC order and mobile court actions.
“We use chemical [calcium carbide] to ripen mangoes,” said a wholesaler at Baneshwar in Rajshahi, preferring anonymity.
Nurul Islam, a producer at Nababganj in Chapainawabganj, said he uses calcium carbide as it ripens mangoes fast and adds attractive colour to the fruits.
“Why this medicine [calcium carbide] will be harmful? I just keep a piece of carbide wrapped in a paper in the storeroom for mangoes,” added Nurul, also a wholesale shop owner at Kansat.
Shafiqul Islam, chief scientific officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre (RHRC) in Chapainawabganj, said “Orchard owners and traders use calcium carbide on mangoes only to make extra bucks. They don't bother about its impact on human health.”
On availability of the chemical compound, another producer, Kawsar Mian of Rajhati village at Nababganj said, “Most of the pharmacies in the area sell it.”
At markets of Baneshwar and Kansat, usage of the ripening agent is an everyday affair. Workers said they start treating the mangoes with the chemical early in the morning to get those ripened by afternoon and loaded onto trucks by evening.
Traders of Baneshwar said, from mid May to mid July every day at least 30 trucks of mangoes -- each carrying seven to eight tonnes -- leave from the market for different places around the country.
On haat [traditional market] days on Saturday and Tuesday, the supply surges to around 50 truck-loads.
Prof ABM Abdullah, dean, faculty of medicine at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, said calcium carbide, if consumed, can damage kidney, heart and liver and cause ulcer and gastric.
Mangoes ripened with calcium carbide taste abnormal or tangy, and look either pale or very bright with its flavour missing, he said. So people can easily identify them.
However, Nazrul Islam, a wholesaler at Baneshwar, said a section of businessmen and producers of the region now use ethephon, a regulator of plant growth and maturity, instead of calcium carbide.
Prof Nilufar Nahar of Dhaka University chemistry department said use of ethephon to ripen mangoes is allowed globally and it is not harmful to public health.
She said ethephon is widely used to help fruit reach maturity quickly and mango producers can try it.
RHRC scientist Shafiqul said it is important that people use proper dose of ethephon on mangoes.
He, however, suggests natural ripening as any sort of chemical reduces taste, fragrance and nutritious quality of fruits.
Mohammad Al-Amin, an executive magistrate of Dhaka deputy commissioner's office, said some traders now use ethephon instead of calcium carbide.
He said they are yet to be sure whether use of the chemical is bad for human health. But they penalise those using ethephon on charges of ripening fruits with chemicals.