Ripened Mangoes Are Safe to Eat
How do green mangoes turn orange? With lime and chemicals? Is this harmful to your health? The conclusion from expert risk assessments is that there are no safety concerns with using lime and chemicals to ripen mangoes, so consumers can eat them without worry.
Experts explain that mangoes are a tropical, perishable fruit and are usually harvested when they are 70-80% ripe to meet the needs of long-distance transportation or storage. Ethephon is used to accelerate the ripening process. Ethephon releases ethylene, a plant hormone that is a volatile gas. The human body has no corresponding receptors for ethylene (the sites where it acts), so under normal conditions of use, it does not pose a hazard to human health.
Experts point out that the lime used by vendors is calcium oxide, a substance that undergoes a chemical reaction with water, releasing a certain amount of heat. This heat raises the storage temperature of the mangoes, speeding up their ripening process.
Experts believe that even if a small amount of lime gets on the mango peel, it will not affect the consumer's health through processes like washing and peeling. Furthermore, according to the "Hygienic Standard for Food Additives" (GB 2760-2007), calcium oxide is an allowed processing aid that can be used in food processing as needed.
According to experts, there are many traditional methods for ripening fruit, and there are no national regulations prohibiting the ripening of fruit or the secondary processing of fruit. To date, there have been no cases of poisoning from eating mangoes in Beijing.
The Government Food Safety Office also stated that it will work with relevant food safety regulatory departments to further regulate the food production and sales behavior of market vendors, effectively implement the market access system for food, strengthen the monitoring of food risks in the market, and reinforce the removal of non-compliant food products from the market.
Expert Tips for Choosing Mangoes
Expert advice: Choose mangoes with a depressed stem, a prominent area around the stem, and that are full and round. People with allergies should avoid eating mangoes, or eat them in small pieces after cutting them. Since mango juice can be irritating to the skin, it's best to cut the flesh into small pieces and eat them directly. After eating a mango, you should rinse your mouth and wash your face to avoid any residue from the juice.