It is understood that these "toxic" fruits are treated with excessive amounts of growth hormones, ripening agents, and enlarging agents during their growth, or excessive preservatives during storage, and even coloring agents, waxing, and bleaching or staining are used during sale, becoming a serious public hazard that threatens people's health.
Experts analyze that the reason for the proliferation of toxic fruits is that consumers often "judge fruit by its appearance." "Consumers produce what consumers like. We like to buy large, brightly colored fruits, so naturally, some people cater to this preference. If consumers do not buy these problematic fruits, the act of 'faking and poisoning' will not exist." To this end, the City Food Safety Information Network has specially compiled 12 commonly eaten "problematic" fruits to reveal to the public, warning citizens not to "judge fruit by its appearance" and not to give the fakers a market. Peach: Soaked in industrial citric acid
Honey peaches are soaked in industrial citric acid to make them bright red and not easily spoil. This chemical residue can damage the nervous system, induce allergic diseases, and even cause cancer. Semi-ripe crisp peaches have alum, sweeteners, and alcohol added to make them crisp and sweet. The main component of alum is aluminum sulfate, and long-term consumption can lead to problems such as hyperostosis, memory loss, dementia, decreased skin elasticity, and increased wrinkles. White peaches are fumigated with sulfur, leaving sulfur dioxide residues. Mango: Ripened with quicklime
Raw mangoes are ripened with quicklime to make the skin look yellow, but they don't have a mango flavor and have the problem of excessive preservative use. Pear: Growth hormones for early ripening
Using enlarging agents and growth hormones to ripen them early, then bleaching and dyeing them with bleach and coloring agents (lemon yellow). The treated pears have little juice and a bland taste, sometimes accompanied by an off-flavor and a rotten smell. These toxic pears have a short shelf life and spoil easily.
Banana: Ripened with ammonia
Ripened with ammonia or sulfur dioxide, these bananas have a tender yellow appearance, but the pulp is firm in texture and not sweet. Sulfur dioxide damages the human nervous system and can also affect liver and kidney function. Watermelon: Enlarged with expanding agents
Excessive use of ripening agents, expanding agents, and highly toxic pesticides. The stripes on the skin of such watermelons are uneven, the pulp inside is fresh, the seeds are white, and there is an off-flavor. This toxic watermelon spoils quickly and is prone to rotting. Grape: Turned purple with ethylene
Immature green grapes are soaked in a diluted solution of ethephon, and after a day or two, they turn purple. These grapes have uneven color, low sugar content, little juice, and a bland taste, and long-term consumption is harmful to human health. Persimmon: Ripened with yeast
Raw persimmons are ripened with yeast or ripening agents, but the sweetness of the persimmon is greatly reduced. Some farmers also apply "a test spirit" to the stem of the raw persimmon to make it turn red. These chemical agents leave residues, making the persimmon toxic. Jujube: Dyed with chemicals
Soaked in boiling water, no matter how green the jujube is, it turns red immediately after being soaked in boiling water. Some fruit vendors also use chemical dyes for coloring and industrial wax for waxing, making the jujube toxic. Longan: Sprayed with sulfur to become colorful
Sprayed with sulfuric acid or soaked in an acidic solution to make its color vibrant. Sulfuric acid is highly corrosive and can burn the human digestive tract. It can also easily cause colds, diarrhea, and severe coughing. Lychee: Color changed with sulfuric acid
Soaked in sulfuric acid solution or sprayed with ethephon water solution to make the discolored lychee bright and attractive, but it spoils easily. This solution is highly acidic, which can cause peeling of the hands, blisters in the mouth, and burns to the stomach and intestines. Some fruit vendors also fumigate with sulfur, and sulfur dioxide has a strong irritating effect on the eyes and throat, causing dizziness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Sulfur dioxide can also cause cancer. Citrus: Polished with industrial wax
Excessive use of preservatives during storage of citrus fruits, "beautified" with coloring agents during sale, and polished with industrial wax. Industrial wax contains impurities such as heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic, which can penetrate into the pulp, leading to symptoms such as memory loss and anemia after consumption. Apple: Color enhanced with ripening agents
Enlarged with expanding agents, color enhanced with ripening agents, and preserved with preservatives. Excessive use of expanding agents, ripening agents, and preservatives can damage the liver. Retail fruit vendors also apply industrial wax to apples to retain moisture and make the fruit look fresh and appealing for sale.