A recent study has found that the soft, shiny exterior of tomatoes or the lush, green texture of peas and leafy veggies might tempt one’s taste buds and their “freshness” might appeal to the eyes, but there lies something sinister beneath – a toxic concoction of hazardous chemicals. Says Utpal Raychaudhuri, a senior scientist at the Department of Food Technology, Jadavpur University: “The consumption of raw fruits and vegetables has become a paradox. The rampant use of chemicals contravenes their nutritional benefits.”
Chemicals such as copper sulfate (硫酸铜), rhodamine oxide (氧化罗丹明), malachite green (孔雀石绿) and the deadly carbide (致命的碳化物) are the ones most commonly used to accentuate coloration and freshness. “These are neurotoxic (神经毒性, affecting the brain) causing Alzheimer’s and dementia (老年痴呆症) and are also carcinogenic (致癌). In addition, they speed up the ageing process,” Raychaudhuri said. The vibrant green exterior of green peas and chilies are a result of the unscrupulous use of malachite green, a textile dye (纺织染料), a well-known carcinogen(致癌物). Other green vegetables such as lady’s finger, bitter gourd and the other gourd varieties are given a facelift by being washed in copper sulfate(硫酸铜), commonly known as blue vitriol (胆矾).
Saraswati, a roadside vendor off South Kolkata’s Bhowanipore, admitted: “All our green vegetables have been treated with ‘neel’ (copper sulfate) at the wholesalers market (批发市场所有绿色蔬菜，都用硫酸铜处理过) in Sealdah and Baruipur.” Copper sulfate is a major constituent of fungicides in agriculture and its ingestion affects the liver and kidneys (影响肝、肾) and causes the formation of free radicals in the body which augment the ageing process . At the other end of the spectrum, Rhodamine B, which is a carcinogen (致癌物), imparts the bright red hue to cherries. This dye is used in markers and also as an agricultural pesticide. It is a skin irritant. Vendors also frequently use calcium carbide, commonly known as carbide, to artificially ripen fruits like bananas and mangoes. “Raw mangoes are laced with carbide the moment they arrive at the wholesalers’ markets,” revealed Mohan, a small-time vendor at Salt Lake. Used in the steel industry, carbide results in neural problems and is also a carcinogen.(用于香蕉、芒果催熟剂，引起神经问题， 也是致癌物)
To take it up a notch higher, vendors rub petroleum oil on the surfaces to provide a glazed look to vegetables like tomatoes and brinjals. Petroleum oil’s toxic effects include respiratory and gastrointestinal problems (商贩给番茄、茄子涂上石蜡[?]，导致呼吸道和胃肠道毛病。). Pointing to the lusciously red tomatoes, Ratan Lal, a roadside vendor near Jadavpur, said: “The moment you cut them open, you can see they aren’t ripe. They arrive from the wholesalers like this.” Although thorough washing of the surfaces of fruits and vegetables is advised to get rid of the chemicals, this does not guarantee safety.
Source: IANS
First Published: Jul 26, 2012 at 2:25 PM