Carbide-tainted fruits cause serious health hazard
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Seasonal summer fruits contaminated with carbide are causing serious health hazards such as stomach pain, acidity, food poisoning, digestive trouble and colon cancer, experts said Saturday, reports BSS.
"Carbide mix hinders biochemical reaction in fruits and subsequently cause the deadly diseases including cancer," Prof ABM Faruque of the Department of Pharmacy of Dhaka University (DU) told the news agency.
Prof Faruque said people could easily identify carbide- contaminated fruits through a small examination on the spot. The contaminated fruits, especially mangoes, could be identified once they found fully yellowed, firm inside and lacked original flavour.
The naturally ripened fruits on the contrary, he said, would be less yellowed, soft inside and full of flavour, which the people could easily understand.
A large number of unscrupulous businessmen had been trading the carbide-mixed fruits to reap personal gain leaving thousands at serious health risk.
Prof Faruque said there was no carbide industry in the country as the substance was being used only by battery companies. But some people were using the chemical as it protected fruits from quick deteriorating, he said.
The pharmacist suggested that a 'Carbide Control Law' which would help check hoarding, selling and wholesaling of carbide in the country, be enacted.
Tamanna Hossain, a frequent fruit buyer, said, "We have heard about it but can not identify the toxic fruits as those are artificially ripened in a way where differentiation is really difficult for commoners."
She, however, said the government should strengthen its monitoring system to deter the so-called 'traders of poison'.
"Carbide mix hinders biochemical reaction in fruits and subsequently cause the deadly diseases including cancer," Prof ABM Faruque of the Department of Pharmacy of Dhaka University (DU) told the news agency.
Prof Faruque said people could easily identify carbide- contaminated fruits through a small examination on the spot. The contaminated fruits, especially mangoes, could be identified once they found fully yellowed, firm inside and lacked original flavour.
The naturally ripened fruits on the contrary, he said, would be less yellowed, soft inside and full of flavour, which the people could easily understand.
A large number of unscrupulous businessmen had been trading the carbide-mixed fruits to reap personal gain leaving thousands at serious health risk.
Prof Faruque said there was no carbide industry in the country as the substance was being used only by battery companies. But some people were using the chemical as it protected fruits from quick deteriorating, he said.
The pharmacist suggested that a 'Carbide Control Law' which would help check hoarding, selling and wholesaling of carbide in the country, be enacted.
Tamanna Hossain, a frequent fruit buyer, said, "We have heard about it but can not identify the toxic fruits as those are artificially ripened in a way where differentiation is really difficult for commoners."
She, however, said the government should strengthen its monitoring system to deter the so-called 'traders of poison'.