After buying fruit, some consumers often feel that something is amiss when they taste them: the bright yellow bananas taste raw; the mangoes have no fragrance; the strawberries and cherries are beautiful in color but tasteless. Food experts say this is the result of "beautifying" fruit with chemical hormones such as expanding agents, ripening agents, and maturing agents.
Although market professionals and relevant experts state that the use of ripening agents and preservatives within a reasonable range is permitted, nutrition and medical experts argue that the excessive pursuit of economic benefits has led to the abuse of various hormones, and hormones can directly lead to the reduced nutritional value of food. Although there is no definitive conclusion on the specific harm that hormone-ripened fruit can cause to human health, many experts believe that long-term consumption will certainly have an impact.
Beautiful fruit may be the work of hormones
>In order to seize the so-called first-mover advantage in the market, traditional and safe fruit ripening methods like smoking bananas have basically been abandoned, replaced by hormone ripening methods. Moreover, fruit treated this way looks good when it hits the market, and with subsequent processing, its appearance is even better.Hormone-treated fruit looks good but is low in nutrition
>It is understood that the use of expanding agents causes the cells of fruits and vegetables to abnormally expand, and their shape also becomes rather strange. Some of their components, such as amino acids and sugars, are insufficient, resulting in poor texture and reduced nutritional value. The use of ripening agents like ethylene speeds up the ripening process of fruits and vegetables, shortening their growth period. The final product, although it may look the same as or even better than normally grown produce, still suffers from problems like poor texture and low nutritional content. Despite this, ripening agents are now used to varying degrees on many fruits and vegetables. The main reason for this is economic; selling fruit before its season commands a much higher price.Medical experts: Hormones can cause precocious puberty in children
>It is understood that consumers often unknowingly consume large amounts of food containing chemical hormones. However, whether such food causes harm to human health is not yet scientifically clear, as research has not yet been conducted. But many experts point out that, in theory, ingesting hormones will certainly affect human health. For example, allergic reactions and diarrhea can occur, and excessively high concentrations of residual hormones in the body can lead to other related diseases. The increase in the number of cancer patients today is in no small part related to the proliferation of hormones.Southern Hospital Associate Professor of Pediatrics Wu Xuedong, in an interview with reporters, stated that an excess of hormones or hormone-like substances is the main cause of precocious puberty in children. Wu Xuedong pointed out that long-term consumption of artificially ripened vegetables and fruits, just like eating hormone-containing fast food or health supplements, can lead to developmental disorders in some children, causing physiological conditions that differ from their peers and adverse reactions such as precocious puberty. Therefore, he urges parents not to give their children artificially ripened vegetables and fruits, as this will only worsen their precocious puberty, as 60% of such cases are caused by human consumption.
Is it safe to use within safe limits?
>Regarding the issue of hormones, the reporter consulted relevant regulations. China's "Food Hygiene Law" contains hundreds of national health standards, but there are no relevant indicators for the various growth hormones. >A person from the Lingnan Fruit Industry Association told reporters that when tree fruits are 70-80% ripe, they can be picked and artificially treated with ripening agents to seize market advantage, and this is not a problem. Most imported fruits also use this method. The application of hormones is to shorten the plant's growth period within a safe range and increase economic benefits. However, if ripening agents are "force-fed" when the fruit is still in its growth period or only 50% ripe, quality problems will arise. >If ripening agents and preservatives with complete "three certificates" are used, there should be no problem. However, the person in charge also stated that because the country currently has no clear testing standards for the use of ripening and preservation techniques on vegetables and fruits, and the use of hormones, preservatives, etc., on them has not been included in the scope of testing by relevant departments, the use of hormones and preservatives in the market is quite chaotic. The person in charge told the reporter that the state is strengthening the construction of relevant standards, and these standards are being improved. >Relevant sources state that the root cause of the existence of hormone-containing food lies in the profit motive, which has led some departments to develop many hormones for application to crop growth. As for whether the hormone content in food is within a safe range, this requires supervision by relevant departments. According to an informed source, food containing hormones can be detected through instruments and equipment, but the testing cost is particularly high.Common fruit ripening periods
>Peaches are ripe from mid-June to early October. >Early plum varieties start to appear in early June, but the most delicious varieties should be ripe in August and September. >Most jujube varieties ripen from late September to early October. Only large jujubes have a jujube flavor; jujubes sold before this are tough and woody and simply inedible. >Some apple varieties ripen after the "dog days" of summer, known as "summer apples." Mid-to-late ripening apples, like "Hongxing," are not ripe until the end of September, and "Fuji" series apples do not appear until October. >Early pear varieties, like "Green Gem," ripen in early August, but they are expensive. Most pears are sold in late September or early October. >Persimmons generally start to appear around the "Frost's Descent" solar term, which is in late October.How to identify hormone-treated fruit
>Fruit with added chemical hormones is harmful to health. Now, there is a wide variety of fruit containing chemical hormones on the market, and it is difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye. So, how can one avoid eating fruit containing chemical hormones? In this regard, relevant sources suggest that consumers should choose foods that are certified as green when purchasing, as the use of any chemical hormones is not permitted in green or organic foods, and consumers can eat them with confidence. >In addition, experts also remind consumers not to buy fruit that is not yet in season. If fruit appears on the market about half a month to a month before its ripening period, and its color is particularly attractive, it is very likely that ripening agents have been used. Even if no ripening agents were used, the fruit will not be tasty and will be low in nutritional value. >When buying fruit, it is best to taste it before buying. Do not buy fruit that is bland or tastes raw. Before buying fruit, first look at its shape and color. Although ripened fruit exhibits mature characteristics, its skin or other aspects may still give an immature feeling. For example, a naturally ripe watermelon, due to sufficient sunlight, will have a deep, bright rind, clear stripes, and a mature stem. A ripened watermelon will have a fresh, tender rind, faint stripes, and a green stem. Consumers generally prefer fruit that is pleasant to look at. In reality, however, less attractive fruit is more reassuring. >Second, you can distinguish fruit by its smell. Naturally ripe fruit usually has a fruity aroma on its skin. Ripened fruit not only lacks this aroma but may even have an off smell. Fruit that has been over-ripened often has a fermented smell. >Ripened fruit also has a distinct characteristic: it is relatively heavy. Compared to naturally ripe fruit of the same variety and size, ripened fruit is much heavier, making it easy to identify.