Summer is the season for fruits, but some consumers often find something amiss when they eat 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" fruits with chemical hormones such as expanding agents, ripening agents, and maturation promoters.
Although market professionals and relevant experts interviewed by reporters stated that the use of ripening agents and preservatives within a reasonable range is permitted, nutrition and medical experts claim that the excessive pursuit of economic benefits has led to the abuse of various hormones, which directly leads to the lower nutritional value of food. As for the harm that hormone-ripened fruits may cause to human health, there is no final conclusion yet, but many experts believe that long-term consumption will certainly have an impact.
Pretty fruits may be the result of hormones
Mr. Li, who always feels that the fruits nowadays don't taste good, told a reporter about his many complaints: the watermelon is not sweet at all, the large strawberries are hollow in the middle and tasteless when eaten, the red tomatoes are so sour they can make your teeth ache, and the beautiful-looking cherries and kiwifruits have an extremely poor texture.
Liu Hai (pseudonym), who was once in the fruit transportation business for many years, told reporters that the poor taste of these fruits and vegetables is because they are treated with hormones. This is an open secret. To get fruits and vegetables to market early and sell for a good price, some transporters ask growers to use ripening agents and expanding agents. As for picking fruits and vegetables prematurely and then using ripening agents during transport, that is a common practice.
A source familiar with the situation at Guangzhou Nanyuan Fruit Wholesale Market admitted that the abuse of hormones does exist in the city's fruit and vegetable market. To seize the so-called first-mover advantage in the market, traditional and safe ripening methods, such as smoking bananas, have been basically abandoned in favor of hormone-ripening methods. Moreover, fruits treated this way look good when they hit the market, and their appearance can be further enhanced with post-processing. Hormone-treated fruits look good but are low in nutrition.
It is understood that the use of expanding agents causes the cells of fruits and vegetables to abnormally swell, and their shapes can become rather strange. The lack of sufficient components like amino acids and sugars results in a poor taste and lower nutritional value. The use of ripening agents like ethylene accelerates the ripening process of fruits and vegetables, shortening their growth period. The final product may look the same as or even better than normally grown ones, but it also suffers from poor texture and low nutritional content. Despite this, many fruits and vegetables are now being treated with ripening agents to varying degrees. The main reason for this is economic; selling before the season can fetch a much higher price. Medical expert: Hormones can cause precocious puberty in children
It is understood that consumers often unknowingly consume large amounts of food containing chemical hormones. However, whether these foods cause harm to human health is not scientifically clear, as research has not yet been conducted. But many experts point out that, in theory, taking hormones will definitely affect human health. For example, it can cause allergic reactions, diarrhea, and other related diseases if the concentration of residual hormones in the body is too high. The increase in the number of cancer patients today is not unrelated to the proliferation of hormones.
Associate Professor Wu Xuedong from the Department of Pediatrics at Nanfang Hospital, 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 and health supplements, can lead to developmental disorders in some children, causing physiological conditions different 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 the condition of precocious puberty, as 60% of such cases are caused by human consumption. Is it safe to use within a safe range?
Regarding the issue of hormones, reporters consulted relevant regulations. China's "Food Hygiene Law" contains hundreds of national hygiene standards, but there are no specific regulations for the myriad of growth hormones.
A person from the Lingnan Fruit Industry Association told reporters that it is fine to pick fruits when they are 70-80% ripe and then artificially add ripening agents to seize the market. Most imported fruits also use this method. The application of hormones is to shorten the plant's growth period within a safe range to increase economic benefits. However, "force-feeding" ripening agents during the growth period or when the fruit is only 50% ripe will lead to quality problems.
The person in charge of the testing department of the Plant Protection Station of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Agriculture told reporters that if ripening agents and preservatives with complete "three certificates" (production license, business license, and product certificate) are used, there should be no problem. However, the official also stated that because the country currently has no clear testing standards for the use of ripening and preservation techniques on fruits and vegetables, and the use of hormones and preservatives is not included in the testing scope of relevant departments, the use of hormones and preservatives on the market is quite chaotic. The official also mentioned that the country is strengthening the construction of related standards, and the standards are being improved.
Relevant sources stated that the root cause of the existence of hormone-containing food is the profit motive, which has led some departments to develop many hormones, which are then applied to crop growth. As for whether the hormone content in food is within a safe range, it needs to be supervised by relevant departments. According to an insider, food containing hormones can be detected through instruments, but the testing cost is particularly high. Common fruit ripening periods
Peaches are ripe from mid-June to early October.
Early-maturing plum varieties start to appear on the market in early June, and the best-tasting varieties ripen between August and September.
Most varieties of jujubes ripen from mid-to-late September to early October. Only the large jujubes have the proper jujube flavor; those sold before this time are tough and woody and inedible.
Some apple varieties ripen after the "dog days" of summer, known as "summer apples." Mid-to-late ripening apples, such as "Hongxing" (Red Star), are not ripe until the end of September, and "Fuji" series apples do not appear on the market until October.
Early-maturing pear varieties, such as "Green Gem," ripen in early August, but they are expensive. Most pears are available in late September or early October.
Persimmons generally start to appear on the market around the time of the first frost, which is in late October.
Expert advice on how to identify hormone-treated fruits
Fruits treated with chemical hormones are harmful to health. Now, there is a wide variety of such fruits on the market, and it is difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye. So, how can one avoid eating fruits that contain chemical hormones? In this regard, relevant sources suggest that consumers should choose foods that are certified as "green" when purchasing, because the use of any chemical hormones is not allowed in green or organic foods, so consumers can eat them with confidence.
In addition, experts also remind consumers not to buy fruits that are not in season. Fruits that appear on the market about half a month to a month before their natural ripening period, and which also have a good color, have likely been treated with ripening agents. Even if ripening agents were not used, the fruit will not taste good and will be low in nutritional value.
When buying fruit, it is best to taste it before buying. Do not buy fruits that are bland or taste raw. Before purchasing fruit, first look at its shape and color. Although artificially ripened fruits show the characteristics of being mature, their skin or other aspects may still give an immature feeling. For example, a naturally ripened watermelon, due to sufficient sunlight, will have a deep, bright rind with clear stripes and a mature stem; an artificially ripened watermelon will have a fresh, tender rind with faint stripes and a green stem. Consumers generally prefer beautiful-looking fruits. In reality, the less attractive fruits are more trustworthy.
Second, you can distinguish by smelling the fruit. Naturally ripened fruits usually have a fruity aroma on their skin. Artificially ripened fruits not only lack this aroma but may even have an unusual smell. Fruits that are over-ripened often have a fermented smell.
Another obvious characteristic of artificially ripened fruits is that they are relatively heavy. For fruits of the same variety and size, the artificially ripened ones are much heavier than the naturally ripened ones, making them easy to identify.