Potentially harmful chemicals believed to have carcinogenic properties are being used to ripen some mangoes sold in India's domestic market.

It has come to light that gangs of unscrupulous traders in some markets have been artificially ripening the fruit with calcium carbide, according to a leading mango expert.

In some cases mangoes are harvested early before natural ripening has taken place. To make them more appealing to customers, calcium carbide (commonly known as masala in India) – a chemical compound that is industrially used in the production of acetylene and calcium cyanamide for fertilizer – is added to water and mangoes are submerged in the substance.

It has links with serious health problems including mental health disorders, adversely affecting the neurological system, causing severe headaches, sleep disorder and dizziness.

At www.freshfruitportal.com we spoke with Doctor A Kumar Singh, head of the Division of Fruits and Horticultural Technology at the Indian Agricultural Institute, who is leading the charge to educate Indian consumers about the use of artificial ripening agents and how to avoid eating mangoes that have been ripened in this way.

"This has been a problem in the Indian domestic market for mangoes and we want to make sure we pass on the very important message that mangoes that have been artificially ripened should not be eaten," Singh said.

"Most importantly, we have to protect our citizens and we do not want our mangoes getting a bad reputation because of a minority group of unscrupulous traders who are using calcium carbide to artificially ripen mangoes.

"When calcium carbide is combined with water it produces a gas that works in a similar way to ethylene which naturally ripens mangoes."

He said the chemical was used for early mango arrivals, so obviously not all mangoes were treated this way, but unfortauntely some traders have sought to catch the early market and earn maximum profit by using the ripening substance.

According to Singh, when mango growers cut the fruit early before physiological maturity has naturally taken place, their aim is to dispatch the fruit to regional mandis, Indian markets, before other varieties are ready for market.

He explained how, in some cases, traders wrap the calcium carbide in a piece of newspaper and keep it in a closed box of mangoes for 24 hours. After a reaction takes place, mangoes look ripe and are therefore attractive for customers.

It has also been reported that some traders are selling pouches of calcium carbide alongside their mangoes.

"The truth is they are not naturally ripe at all and potentially harmful chemicals have been used to make them look good. But they are not good."

India's new government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is taking a tough stance against anyone found to be misusing chemical agents.

"This problem is not new and has been going on for a while but we are raising awareness now because it’s been happening again in some regional markets. The new government is very serious about our mangoes as a commodity and to the everyday man and woman they are such an important fruit both in cultural and religious terms, so this issue has to be taken very seriously indeed," Singh added.

"Anyone who is caught should receive the highest punishment possible because we need to stamp out this practice once and for all, otherwise it will continue and the reputation of our much loved fruit will be damaged.

"We want to talk about our mangoes in terms of their anti-carcinogenic qualities and how tasty they are, not that they may be bad."

Singh added that the concerted effort to stop this practice comes at a time of increased interest in the Indian mango from areas including North America, Japan and Australia.

Government agencies are also conscious of protecting the fruit's reputation, especially after the EU ban on Indian mangoes that took effect on May 1, 2014 and runs until December 2015. The Commission has prohibited the import of Indian varieties, as well as two types of gourd, eggplant and the taro plant, amid serious concerns over pest contamination.

"Any mango consignment traveling across the country either by road or train is also being checked. Around 50 truckloads have already been caught all over the country and these days the farmers are really scared like never before because they know they are being watched," Singh said.

How to tell if a mango has been artificially ripened

Over the last few days, Singh has been raising awareness through Indian media in an effort to educate mango consumers over the dangers of artificially ripened fruit and how to spot fruit ripened by calcium carbide.

He has appeared on national television and radio speaking on the issue and is keen to spread the message 'for the protection of Indian people'.

"People in India have become much more quality conscious these days; for the common man and woman, the mango is quite expensive. We love mangoes, so I want to make sure people get what they pay for and do not consume artificially forced fruit," Singh said.

"There are a few things you can do to tell the difference. Firstly, place the mango in a bucket of water; if it sinks to the bottom that means it’s physiologically mature and fine. However, if it suspends or floats that means it has been harvested prematurely and you should not consume it.

"Secondly, artificially ripened mangoes do not have a uniform color. Instead they’ll be green and yellow in patches here and there around the surface. This may be because they have been treated and the chemical has not reached the entire fruit.

He added that people could do these checks without having a background in science.

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