Poison on your plate

Use of chemical compounds to artificially ripen, colour and increase shelf life of fruit is rampant

Mango

Before you buy your next lot of mangoes this summer, don’t just look at the colour of the fruit but check for aroma. Artificially ripened mangoes don’t have aroma. While the outer part of the fruit will have a yellow skin, the tissue/flesh won’t be ripe. Artificially ripened mangoes are green and yellow in patches as the chemical doesn’t react evenly. But it doesn’t hold true always. Some artificially ripened bananas appear bright yellow, and sometimes a light powder-like compound is visible on the surface of the fruit. Besides, artificially ripened fruits are dry and