How to Identify Carbide-Ripened Mangoes and Avoid Them
20 May 2025, New Delhi: Mangoes are the most awaited summer fruit in India. But with rising demand, some traders resort to artificial ripening using harmful chemicals like calcium carbide. While this practice helps mangoes reach markets quickly, it poses serious health risks to consumers. It is crucial to understand how to identify such mangoes and ensure you buy only naturally ripened fruits.
What is Carbide Ripening and Why is it Harmful?
Carbide ripening involves the use of calcium carbide (CaC₂), a chemical compound that releases acetylene gas when it comes in contact with moisture. This gas mimics ethylene, a natural ripening hormone in fruits, but in a crude and unsafe manner.
Calcium carbide may contain arsenic and phosphorus impurities, which can lead to health issues like skin irritation, headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and even long-term damage to internal organs if consumed frequently through artificially ripened fruits.
Is Calcium Carbide Legal for Ripening Fruits in India?
The use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits is illegal in India. As per the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (2011) and notifications by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), the use of calcium carbide for ripening is strictly prohibited due to its harmful effects. Ethylene gas, in controlled conditions, is the only legally approved ripening agent. Offenders using carbide can face legal action.
How to Identify Carbide-Ripened Mangoes
Carbide-ripened mangoes often appear attractive but with black marks or spots on them and lack natural aroma, texture, and taste. Here’s how to spot them:
Unnatural Uniform Colour: These mangoes typically have a uniform bright yellow or orange color on the outside, but the inside may remain hard and greenish. Natural mangoes ripen unevenly and show green or yellow patches.
Sink in Water: Carbide ripened mangoes when put in a bucket of water will flow on surface where as the naturally ripened mangoes will sink.
Lack of Aroma: Naturally ripened mangoes emit a strong, fruity aroma. Carbide-ripened ones often have little to no smell, or a faint chemical-like odor.
Black Spots or Marks: One of the visible signs of chemical ripening is the presence of small black patches or blemishes on the mango’s skin. These result from uneven chemical reaction and damage caused by carbide.
Ripening Pattern: If all mangoes in a box are equally ripe, soft, and uniformly colored, it’s likely they were chemically ripened. Natural mangoes ripen at different times.
Texture and Taste: Carbide-ripened mangoes may feel too soft outside but unripe inside. The taste is often bland or slightly metallic compared to the juicy sweetness of naturally ripened ones.
Powder Residue: Sometimes, traces of white or grey powder can be seen on the mango’s surface or inside the packaging. This powder is likely leftover calcium carbide.
How to Avoid Buying Carbide-Ripened Mangoes
To ensure you consume safe mangoes, always purchase from reputable fruit vendors, certified organic stores, or government-regulated outlets. Avoid overly bright, spotless mangoes that seem too uniform in size and ripeness.
Look for fruits with natural variations in color and a pleasant aroma. Mangoes with mild green patches and fragrant smell are typically ripened without chemicals.
As a safety precaution, soak mangoes in clean water for at least one hour before eating them. This helps remove any surface residues but may not eliminate internal contamination.
Also, try to avoid mangoes that enter the market too early in the season. Mangoes that appear before April are more likely to be artificially ripened.
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