Mangoes . As you know, in addition to the 40 degrees plus heat, Mangoes are the next attraction
of this summer season, in Tamilnadu. Even in matunga,(little chennai in mumbai) area was full of Mango crates of
different varieties.We pocketed few, since this is the end of the season. But the immediate question which
hit my mind, was whether it is worth eating?? Whether it is from reliable source?Reason being, the news
article in SUN TV a couple of days back. Several boxes of Mangoes were seized and thrown in Madurai,
since the trader was found to have used Calcium-Carbide, to ripen the mangoes.It would be delicious to
taste Mangoes which have gone through the natural processing of riping. But due to commercial reasons
and the high demand in the season, traders are sorting to these kind of gimmicks to market the unriped
mangoes. They follow the artificial maturation process by keeping small amount of carbide in a paper
pocket, inside the Mango crates. Eventhough,this process reduces the time taken for the manoges to
ripen, it diminishes the quality and taste. Certain companies are marketing their Mangoes with
guarantees that they are sun -ripened on the tree through its full term. (I hope I bought the right one...)
Initially, I thought it is only happening in our state (to my knowledge). Later on, I found out that it is a
common trick followed by several Mango growing countries, at international level.Profit-making attitude
is entering each and every avenue, nowadays. This Mango industry is not an exception to that rule. But,
the ultimate effect is on the quality and flavour of the fruit.
Another news, related to the same quality issue ....Everyone knows about the well known say 'An Apple
a Day, keeps the doctor away'. But, can this say retain its glory after few years, in this profit oriented
world? If you think that the Apple which you are buying is a fresh one, just reconsider once again... It may
look fresh and shiny, but might not have been plucked just few weeks back. Sometimes, it may be 6
months old.Recently, I read in Junior Vikatan that, in India too many cold-storage facilities have come up
everywhere to maintain the freshness of fruits. Due to the seasonal nature of the Apples, the traders are
bringing them at the appropriate season and storing there even upto 6 months. In addition to this
freshness issue, the acid cleansing for keeping the apples shiny, may affect the quality of the apples if
it exceeds the limit. Eventhough, the acid cleansing is followed internationally for polishing the apples(!!!),
too much of artificial dressing may affect the ultimate quality.
So, what is the limit for these type of artificial processes?
I hope that, the health authorities in India, will lay down some more rules in this respect. They need to
keep a constant watch and ensure that the traders in this industry adhere to those health rules, strictly.
Otherwise, even the doctors cannot advise their patients to take fruits, confidently. It should not end up
like this cycle of
'Health problem > Fruits > Health problem due to the fruits > ???'
