Ripe jackfruit, pineapple, papaya or mango--all fruits flooding the city markets look great but lack usual scent and taste as traders use chemical compounds to ripen them artificially, posing a serious health risk to the consumers.
Sources said fruit growers and traders are using different harmful chemicals including growth hormone, insecticides and other chemicals like carbide and formaline in the fruits from the orchard to market for making quick cash.
Carbide, a chemical compound used for manufacturing dry cell batteries, is now being used in mango, banana and papaya for bringing colour.
“A couple of days ago, my husband bought a jackfruit which was soft like a ripe one. But we could not eat it because it was totally tasteless and stinky. I guess it was artificially ripened,” said a housewife from Mirpur when asked about the seasonal fruits.
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