A harmful introduction of Calcium Carbide in our life

Poisonous Fruit 

 I bet you’ve not known the real taste of any fruit in a long, long time. For, knowingly or unknowingly, you have been buying fruits that are either harmful or lack taste and nutritional value. In India, we are habitual to consume toxic fruits which are ripened by a hazardous chemical, like Calcium Carbide. 

   This poses great health risks to consumers.Calcium carbide has cancer-causing properties and is capable of causing neurological disorders. It can result in tingling sensation, numbness and peripheral neuropathy. If pregnant women consume fruit ripened with carbide, the children born could develop abnormalities. 

   The use of calcium carbide is not only toxic to consumers, it may also be harmful to those who handle it. It affects the neurological system, resulting in headache, dizziness, mood disturbances, sleepiness, mental confusion and seizures on a short-term basis, while in the long-term it can cause memory loss and cerebral oedema. 

   The use of carbide gas from calcium carbide to ripen fruits is extremely hazardous to the human body as calcium carbide also contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus. The practice of ripening fruits using carbide is banned in INDIA but it is freely used.

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First we should know, How do raw fruits become ripe when treated with chemicals(Calcium Carbide, etc)?

The process of fruit ripening is chiefly regulated by a gas ethylene. Most fruits have elevated ethylene levels during ripening. Ethylene regulates the activity of various enzymes involved in the process of ripening. These enzymes act to soften the `skin' of the fruit and also convert complex polysaccharides into simple sugars. The chemical commonly used to ripen fruits commercially is ethephon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid), which penetrates into the fruit and decomposes to ethylene. Incidentally, chemicals (e.g. calcium carbide) that produce acetylene and carryover of toxic materials to consumers.

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Growth Hormone

The new method to ripe fruit artificially

After some strict measures taken by "FDCA" An INDIAN Govt.  Org., fruit traders use new ripening chemicals to escape law.

Since the use of calcium carbide is banned, fruit traders are now using other ripening agents to avoid facing action. Traders sprinkle plant growth hormones like ethephon directly on unripe fruits to advance its ripening. They have resorted to chemicals like Bethylene. The INDIAN Govt. should amend rules and prohibit chemicals that alter nutritional value of fruits.

The law against only,Carbide

Right now, as per law, FDCA can only take action against those using carbides. FDCA cann't take any action against traders if they use other chemicals that alter not just a fruit’s natural taste but even its nutrition value.

    Though not considered harmful if used within permissible limits, the traders usually use excess amounts to ripen fruits faster, altering the taste and the nutritional value of the fruit besides reducing its shelf-life.

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