Enjoy mangoes with a pinch of caution: Doctors
GUNTUR: As the mango season reaches its peak, markets across the district are filled with bright, yellow mangoes, attracting eager buyers. However, health experts are urging caution, highlighting concerns that some of these fruits may have been ripened through artificial means, compromising both quality and safety.
Popular mango varieties such as Rasalu and Banganapalli are often harvested before reaching full maturity and subjected to ripening techniques that may not meet food safety standards.
Though natural ripening remains the preferred method, some traders resort to chemical alternatives to meet market demand quickly. Calcium carbide, a substance known to release acetylene gas when exposed to moisture, is used in some instances for accelerating the ripening process.
While the use of this chemical is restricted under food safety laws, officials acknowledge that improper ripening practices still occur in certain pockets. A renowned physician in Guntur, Dr Kavitha, explained the effects of this chemical to TNIE, saying, 'Fruits treated with calcium carbide can ripen externally within a day or two, but often remain underdeveloped inside. Residue from the chemical may sometimes be visible as a white powder on the fruit. Consumers should be aware that artificially ripened fruits may lack both taste and nutritional value.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Villupuram boy, girl who eloped to Chennai, found dead in house
CHENNAI: Two 19-year-old students, who were studying at a college in Villupuram, were found dead in a house they had moved-in together in Perambur 10 days back. The girl's body was found with injuries and the boy appeared to have died by suicide. The ICF police have registered a case of unnatural death under section 194 of BNSS and are probing the cause of death. The deceased were identified as S Akash and T Abinaya, both belonging to the same caste from Kannarampattu village in Villupuram district. They were in the third-year of computer science course at the Arignar Anna Arts and Science College, and had come to Chennai under the pretext of finding work during semester holidays. The families of both the victims reportedly did not know that they had gone to Chennai together. One of the neighbours in Perambur told TNIE that the two rented the place on May 26 with the help of a friend who was familiar in the neighbourhood. 'They told us that they got married after leaving their home since they were facing issues from their families,' the neighbour said. Another neighbour said she checked the place since there was no activity since Monday morning. After discovering the two were dead, the neighbours alerted the police. The police sent the bodies for postmortem to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital. Abinaya's family members, who were at the hospital, alleged the boy may have killed the girl inadvertently during a fight and later killed himself. They refuted claims that they had created any issues and said they were unaware of the two being in a relationship. ()
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu to frame rules for nominating PwDs to local bodies after governor assents to Bills
CHENNAI: The state government will soon frame rules for nominating persons with disabilities (PwDs) to all local bodies since the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies (Amendment) Act, 1998, and the Tamil Nadu Panchayats (Amendment) Act, 1994 became laws after Governor RN Ravi gave assent to the two Bills. The Bills were published in the state gazette on Monday. When contacted, a senior official told TNIE that the government would soon begin the process of drafting rules in consultation with legal experts. 'It usually takes some time, but the government will take prompt action in this regard,' the official said. The legislation paves the way for the nomination of around 14,000 PwDs to urban and rural local bodies, ensuring their voices are heard in local governance and enabling them to take up leadership roles. A total of 650 PwDs will be nominated to urban local bodies. Similarly, 12,913 PwDs will be nominated to village panchayats, 388 to panchayat unions, and 37 to district panchayats. Chief Minister MK Stalin had introduced the two Bills in the Assembly on April 16. They were passed on April 29.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Breathing easy, by preparing well
BENGALURU: UST a few hundred fresh Covid-19 cases may not set off panic yet — but what happens if the numbers suddenly double or triple, like they did before? Are we really ready this time? A reality check by TNIE reveals that Karnataka is not taking any chances. After witnessing the devastation caused by previous Covid-19 waves, particularly the oxygen crisis during the second wave, the health and medical education department are moving swiftly to ensure that critical infrastructure built during the pandemic doesn't fall into disuse. Take the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen generating plants, for instance. During the peak of the pandemic, 243 such plants were installed across district and taluk hospitals to ensure a steady oxygen supply. Each plant came with an annual maintenance cost of around Rs 5 lakh. In the months that followed, as Covid cases declined, many of these units were neglected and became defunct. But now, with cases gradually rising again in neighbouring countries and also within Karnataka, the state has reactivated most of these plants. District health officials have been instructed to carry out maintenance checks and ensure they are fully operational — a move that seems like a lesson learnt against the overall scramble seen during earlier waves. The state has kept its systems warm — from oxygen infrastructure and isolation wards to rapid testing capabilities — and officials say they are prepared to scale up within days if required. Rather than treating preparedness as a 'crisis-only' strategy, the state is treating it as a permanent feature of its health system. The panic button has been pressed early — not because the situation is dire yet, but because the cost of being unprepared is one the state cannot afford to repeat, officials say.
