See the following picture –

An innocuous looking packet that resembles a single helping of sugar is actually Ethylene which is a fruit ripener.

I knew that fruits were being ripened using some chemical but every time you bought fruits from a shop, they would not be in a box and you assumed that they had been ripened naturally. Today I went to buy a box of Mangoes and wanted to see the Mangoes before buying the entire box. As I lifted a few mangoes on top, I found this packet and initially thought it was something used to absorb moisture. Then I caught the word ripener and immediately picked it up to take a pic.

This seems to have been manufactured in China and the usage seems rampant.

I still bought the mangoes because I really don’t have the choice. I may not find naturally ripened fruit unless it’s from a tree in my non-existent backyard.

How do we get out of this chemical-filled food chain ? Pesticides, ripeners, insecticides, fertilizers…. all dangerous chemicals that we ingest tiny portions of everyday. Scary thought.