Is ethephon harmful to the human body?

Ethylene is a very common ripening agent in our daily life. Generally, green bananas or mangoes are ripened with ethylene, which allows them to ripen within a few days. If they are picked when they are ripe, it will be difficult to preserve them during transportation. But everyone knows that ethylene is a chemical reagent. Many people worry that ethylene is very harmful to the human body. Is ethephon harmful to the human body?

Is it toxic to use ethephon to ripen bananas?

Ethephon, a banana ripening agent, is a plant growth regulator and can be used within the prescribed standards.

"Ethephon" ripening is an essential production link before bananas are put on the market. It is widely used all over the world and has been used for nearly a hundred years. Bananas need to be transported over long distances and must be picked green. Green bunches of bananas are difficult to ripen on their own, and if they are not ripened artificially, most of the bananas will rot. "Ethephon" is a liquid. When "ethephon" dissolves in water, ethylene gas is released. It is the ethylene gas that ripens bananas, and it is the banana peel rather than the flesh that comes into contact with "ethephon", so normal ripening of bananas will not produce substances harmful to the human body.

Can you eat ripened bananas?

Ripened bananas are actually edible, but as we all know, eating fresh, naturally ripe bananas is healthier, so it is best not to eat ripened bananas if you can avoid it. So why are ripened bananas actually edible?

Generally, ethephon is used to ripen bananas. Experts explain that, in fact, bananas themselves contain ethylene. Ethephon simply "awakens" the ethylene in the bananas themselves. Under natural conditions, bananas themselves will also release ethylene gas, and it is this ethylene gas that causes bananas to ripen naturally. Adding ethephon speeds up this natural process.

Moreover, ethephon will not be taken by mistake by people, because after ethephon releases ethylene gas during the ripening process, part of it awakens the ethylene in the banana body, and part of it is released. In addition, when eating bananas, the skin is peeled, so under normal circumstances, ethephon will not be taken by people by mistake.

All plant growth regulators approved for use in my country are required to undergo safety evaluation, and the country has strict standards on the amount and time of use of growth regulators. Different fruits are different. The national standard GB2763 stipulates that the residue of ethephon in kiwi, banana, pineapple and lychee shall not exceed 2 mg/kg, and the residue of chlorpyrifos in kiwi and grape shall not exceed 0.05 mg/kg. As long as it is used in accordance with national standards and within the approved scope, its food safety can be guaranteed.

Is ripening bananas harmful to the body?

The banana ripening agent ethephon is a plant growth regulator that can be used within the prescribed standards. If a large amount of high-concentration ripening agent is used, it will easily cause the banana to ripen on the outside but not on the inside. The skin will be shiny and beautiful, but it will quickly turn black and rot. Eating fruits that have been sprayed with excessive amounts of ethephon may cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, and may even cause damage to the liver and brain.

How to identify ripe bananas

Look: The skin of a ripened banana generally does not have the "plum blossom spots" that are a sign of a ripe banana.

Smell: Ripened bananas smell like chemicals.

Taste: Naturally ripened bananas ripen evenly, while artificially ripened bananas have hard cores.

Makeup technique: Apply a layer of ripening agent containing sulfur dioxide on the surface of a banana that is 70% ripe. In one or two days, the banana will turn into a yellow, tender and top-quality product. Or inject formaldehyde gas into a box of bananas, and the bananas will turn yellow in a few days.