Fruit ripener poses no danger: experts

A chemical that ripens fruits and vegetables does no harm to human health, experts said following recent reports about a ripener used in several provinces.
“There is no problem with using ethephon to ripen fruits. This plant growth regulator is completely the same as hormones produced by plants themselves when they get ripe,” Luo Yunbo, dean of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering under China Agricultural University and an expert of plant physiology, told China Daily on Monday.
“The chemical is safe enough that there is even no need for detection,” Luo said.
The national standard for the amount of residue of the chemical is two milligrams in every kilogram of fruit, and experts said the actual dosage is far below that level, as overuse benefits neither farmers nor their fruit.
“Overdose may make fruit ripen too rapidly and even rot, and will scorch the skin of fruit, which will harm sales for vendors,” Luo said.
Experts said people should not worry about the use of the ripener because it has been used worldwide for decades.
“China learned the use of the hormone from the United States and Japan, which is a pioneer in research and use of plant growth accelerators and regulators. It’s an achievement in science and technology,” said Fan Zhihong, a nutrition and food safety professor with China Agricultural University.
Ethephon, an organic compound, is an agricultural plant growth stimulant that is sprayed on 70 or 80 percent ripe fruit after they have been picked. It gives off ethylene to facilitate ripening.
Some fruit, such as bananas, will rot instead of ripen without such a ripener, according to experts.
“The traditional way to ripen bananas is to put them together with mature apples, which can release ethephon to help bananas ripen, or ripen them by fuming with joss sticks. But these two ways may give bananas uneven color when they turn yellow, and the fruit will never have achieved mass production,” Luo said.
Ethephon has been under the spotlight after reports came out saying vegetables, including tomatoes and cucumbers in Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu provinces, had the ripener applied before they matured to increase production and make them marketable.
“Actually this chemical will not lead to a larger output at all, and it does not work on cucumbers,” Luo said.
“There’s no need to use chemicals to ripen tomatoes now, as they turn red easily in hot weather. Some farmers use that in winter,” said a vendor surnamed Dai in a food market in Beijing’s Chaoyang district.
People interviewed by China Daily said it is easy to stir panic about additives or growth accelerators, as food safety is a major concern.
“I avoid buying vegetables that look particularly exquisite and flawless to dodge suspicious chemicals,” said Lin Jing, a Beijing woman purchasing vegetables in the market. – China Daily

Top 20 Fruits you probably dont know!!

Sugar Apple

Annona squamosa

Sugar Apples or Sweetsop, is native to the tropical Americas, but is also widely grown in Pakistan, India and the Philippines. The fruit looks a bit like a pine cone, and are about 10 cm in diameter. Under the hard, lumpy skin is the fragrant, whitish flesh of the fruit, which covers several seeds inside, and has a slight taste of custard.

19

Mammee Apple

Mammea americana

Mammee Apple, Mamey Apple or Santo Domingo Apricot is an evergreen tree, native to South America, which was introduced to various other regions of the world including West Africa and South East Asia. They can also be found in Florida and Hawaii. The Mammee apple is actually a berry and gets up to 20 cm in diameter. It has a thick outer rind, with soft orange to yellow pulp on the inside. It usually had one seed in the centre, but larger fruit have been known to carry up to 4. The pulp is sweet and fragrant.

18

Cherymoya

Annona cherimola

Cherymoya, or custard apple, is a deciduous plant found in the high lying mountainous areas of South America. The fruit is vaguely round and is found with 3 types of skin – Impressa (indented), Tuberculate (covered in nodules) or intermediate (a combination of the first two). The flesh inside the skin is very fragrant, white, juicy and has a custard like consistency. It is said that the fruit tastes like a combination of banana, passion fruit, papaya and pineapple. Mark Twain said in 1866 “ the most delicious fruit known to men, cherimoya”

17

Platonia

Platonia insignis

Platonia or Bacuri is a large tree (reaching 40m) found in the rain forests of Brazil and Paraguay. The fruit become the size of a orange, and have a thick yellow peel which oozes a yellow latex when pressed. Inside there is a sticky white pulp, wrapped around several black seeds, which tastes pleasant and has a sweet and sour flavor.

16

Cocona

Solanum sessiliflorum

Cocona fruit is another tropical fruit found in the mountainous regions of South America. It grows on a small shrub, and can miraculously grow from seed to fruit in less than 9 months, after which the fruit will take another 2 months to ripen. The fruit is a berry and comes in red, orange or yellow. It has a similar appearance to tomatoes, and is said to taste like a mixture between tomatoes and lemons.

15

Breadfruit

Artocarpus altilis

Breadfruit is a large tree, in the mulberry family, found native to the Philippines and all the islands in Southeast Asia. The fruit is similar to bananas, as they can be eaten raw when ripe, and cooked when unripe. The ripe fruit is soft and sweet, while the unripe fruit is harder and starchy, which is where it got the name breadfruit from, as it tastes similar to freshly baked bread when cooked.

14

Duku

Lansium domesticum

Duku or lungsat are two very similar fruits found throughout Asia. They come from the same family, look and taste identical, with one difference. The skin of the lungsat contains a latex substance, which is not poisonous, but causes the skin to stick slightly to the fruit, whereas the duku has no latex and the peel is removed with more ease. Inside, the fruit has 5 segments, some of which has bitter seeds inside. It is a very sweet fruit and can be prepared in a number of different ways, including being canned in syrup or being dried like raisins.

13

Safou

Dacryodes edulis

Safou is an evergreen tree found in the humid tropical forests of Africa, as far south as Angola, and as far north as Nigeria. The fruits are also known as African pears and are oblong dark blue to violet fruits up to 14cm in length, with pale green flesh inside. These fatty fruits have been said to have the ability to put an end to starvation in Africa, as 48% of the fruit is made up of essential fatty acids, amino acids, Vitamins and triglycerides. The have estimated that a one hectare plantation would be able to produce 7-8 tons of oil, and all parts of the plant can be used.

12

Jabuticaba

Myrciaria cauliflora

Jabuticaba, or the Brazilian grape tree, is a very strange plant native to the South Eastern parts of Brazil. What makes this plant so strange is that it fruits from its trunk. No, I did not make that up, and no the picture has not been photo shopped. Initially, yellowish white flowers will appear all over the trunk and main branches, these flowers will then turn into fruit, about 3 – 4cm in diameter. Inside the thick purple skin is the soft gelatinous flesh of the fruit, along with 1 – 4 black seeds. The fruit is sweet and can be eaten as is or made into a wine or liqueur. Unfortunately, the fruit does not keep long when off the tree and will start to ferment after about 3 or 4 days.

11

Rambutan

Nephelium lappaceum

Rambutan is an odd fruit that looks like a furry strawberry from the outside, and much like a lychee on the inside. It is native to South East Asia, but has been spread and a smaller “wild” version can be found in Costa Rica, where it is called a Chinese sucker. The fruit is an oval shape and about 3-6 cm in diameter. Inside the slightly hard, but easily peal able skin, you can find a soft fruit that tastes slightly sweet, with a possible sour tinge.

10

Noni

Morinda citrifolia

Noni, otherwise known by many different names around the world, including the great moringa, Indian mulberry, dog dumpling and pace, is related to the coffee bean plant and is native throughout South East Asia and Australasia, but is cultivated throughout the tropics. The tree carries fruit throughout the year and the fruit tend to have a very pungent odour when ripening (also known as the cheese fruit or vomit fruit). Despite the smell, the fruit is high in fibre, vitamin A, protein, Iron and calcium, and is the staple diet on many Pacific Islands. The fruit can either be cooked into a stew or eaten raw with salt.

9

Marula

Sclerocarya birrea

The Marula is a deciduous tree native to Southern and Eastern Africa. The distribution of the tree throughout Africa, follow the migratory patterns of the Bantu people, as it was an important source of food, and they planted more trees along their way. The green fruit ripens and turns yellow, the white flesh inside is succulent and has a very distinct flavor. After falling off the tree, the fruit will start to ferment and these draw in animals, like elephants and baboons, for a slightly alcoholic treat. The fruit is also used to make a popular liqueur called Amarula, which can be found at any duty-free liquor store at airports.

8

Salmonberry

Rubus spectabilis

Salmonberrys are native to the west coast of North America, stretching from midway through Alaska, all the way down to California. They are found in moist forests and create dense thickets. The fruit looks similar to raspberries, but are more orange in color. They are sweet when eaten raw, but are often processed into juice, wine, candies and jams.

7

Salak

Salacca zalacca

Salak fruit, also known as the snake fruit, comes from a species of palm native to Indonesia. These fruit grow at the base of the palm, and gained the name snake fruit from their red brown, scaly skin. The skin is easily removed, and inside are 3 white, sweet segments that each contain a large black inedible seed. When eaten, the fruit have a slightly acidic but sweet flavor, and the consistency of apples.

6

Bael

Aegle marmelos

Bael, wood apple or stone apple is a species native to India, but found throughout Southeast Asia. Bael is a smooth fruit with a woody peel that is colored yellow, green or grey. The hard, woody, outer peel is so hard that it has to be cracked with a hammer. Inside is an aromatic yellow pulp with several hairy seeds. The flesh can be eaten either dried or fresh. From the fresh fruit, a juice called sharbat can be made, adding water, sugar and lime juice to the pulp. It takes just one large fruit to make 6 liters of sharbat.

5

Star Apple

Chrysophyllum cainito

The Star apple is a fruit native to the low-lying areas of Central America and the West Indies. The underside of the evergreen leaves shine with a golden color from a distance, and the tree carries small white to purple flowers with a sweet fragrance. The fruit is round, purple and has a thick, latex filled skin. If the fruit is cut horizontally, a clear star pattern can be seen in the white purple pulp. The fruit is delicious fresh, with a intense sweet taste.

4

Star fruit

Averrhoa carambola

Star fruit or carambola is a fruit tree native to the Philippines, but can be found throughout Southeast Asia, East Asia, South America, Florida and Hawaii. This fruit has five ridges running down its length, which when cut sideways, makes the star pattern after which it is named. The fruit is rich in Vitamin C, and Antioxidants. The fruit turns a bright yellow when ripe, has a waxy skin and the entire fruit is edible, juicy and crunchy.

3

Horned melon

Cucumis metuliferus

The horned melon, also known as African cucumber or jelly melon, is an annual vine native to Africa, but can now be found grown in California, Australia, New Zealand and Chile as well. When ripe, the melon has a thick spiky yellow outer skin, with bright green, jelly like flesh. The flesh is often compared to the taste of a banana, with the texture of the seedy part of a cucumber or tomato. The thick skin can be eaten and is a good source of vitamin C and fibre.

2

Pitaya

Hylocereus

Pitaya, or dragon fruit, is a cactus fruit that can be found throughout Asia, Australasia, North America and South America, even though they are believed to be native to Mexico originally. There are two main types of pitaya, the sour types, typically eaten in the Americas, and sweet types found across Asia. The fruit comes in 3 different color varieties, Labelled as red, yellow and Costa Rican pitayas. The “red” fruits are generally a bright magenta color on the outside, with yellow flesh. The Yellow Pitaya is yellow inside and out, and the Costa Rican pitayas are magenta on the outside and the inside. They smell deliciously fragrant and most have a sweet flavor similar to a kiwi fruit.

1

Miracle Fruit

Synsepalum dulcificum

The miracle fruit, or sweet berries, is a very strange berry native to West Africa. What makes the fruit strange and miraculous, is miraculin (a sugar substitute), which is found in large quantities in the fruit, combined with a glycoprotein. The fruit itself does not contain a lot of sugar, and tastes only mildly sweet but when eaten, the glycoprotein binds to the tongues taste buds, which, for about an hour after eating the fruit, distorts any other taste into sweetness. With that effect you could technically eat a lemon, and it would taste like a ball of syrup. Although the definite reason for this occurrence is not fully understood, it would seem as if the miraculin distorts the shape of the sweetness receptors in the tongue so that they pick up on acid instead of sweetness. The sweetness receptors on your tongue then transmit to the brain to taste sweetness when they come in contact with any acidity. In the 70s attempts were made to commercialize and sell the fruit as a diet aid, as it has the potential to turn any meal sweet, without affecting your calorie intake. These attempts were shattered when the FDA declared it a food additive, due to pressure from sugar companies who could foresee big losses in profits. In the last two years the berries have been making a comeback, by being the guest star of many tasting parties in the states. The berries are dried and exported, and the party guests each have one and then taste all kinds of common foods to experience a new taste sensation with every bite.

Eat a variety of colors

Eating fruits and vegetables of a variety of different colors can give you the best all-round health benefits; each contains a distinctive blend of super nutrients that are fantastic for our well-being.

Red: Fruits and vegetables with the color red contain a super anti-oxidant in the carotenoid pigment lycopene. Lycopene is found in tomatoes, red & pink grapefruit, guava, watermelon, papaya, red bell pepper, and gogi berries. A fruit grown in Southern Asia called "gac" is considered the most lycopene rich food with over 70 times the amount of lycopene as tomato products per volume.

Lycopene is absorbed most effectively when it is combined with a fat source. Gac contains saturated and unsaturated fatty acids making it naturally bioavailable. Tomato sauces or tomatoes with extra virgin olive oil are another bioavailable source. Lycopene is noted for its powerful ability to scavenge free radicals and inhibit cancer cell formation and arterial inflammation.

Orange: Orange containing fruits and vegetables are rich in the potent anti-oxidant beta-carotene. Beta carotene is found in sweet potatoes, yams, mangos, carrots, & apricots. The Vietnamese superfood "gac" has the most beta-carotene with over 10x the amount as carrots.

Beta carotene helps prevent night blindness and other eye problems while working to help improve eye function. It also acts to enhance skin health and immune system stability. Beta carotene has powerful anti-oxidant properties which help clean the body of free radicals that damage tissue and cause cancer.

Greens: The color of life is derived by chlorophyll which is one of the most powerful life-giving substances on the planet. The chlorophyll content of a food is a major indicator of the health attributes of any given plant based food. Chlorophyll rich foods have a very deep green and are extraordinarily useful in building new blood cells and purifying the body from cancer and radiation.

Additionally, green foods contain the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin that are being studied for their ability to protect your eyes by keeping your retina strong. They are also rich in folate, magnesium, copper, B6, & potassium. Many green vegetables like kale and collard greens contain powerful glucosinolates and methyl cysteine sulfoxides. These super-nutrients help to activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that play an important role in neutralizing carcinogenic substances.

Blue/Purple: These darker pigments add beautiful shades that enrich your plate. They are also rich in flavonoids, phytochemicals, and anti-oxidants. The phytochemical pigment responsible for the dark color is called anthocyanins. Foods that are rich in anthocyanins include blueberries, plums, red cabbage, eggplant, blackberries, raspberries, & cranberries.

These super nutrients have an especially powerful ability to minimize cancer-induced DNA damage, stall the growth of pre-malignant cells, accelerate cancer cell death, and reduce inflammatory mediators that initiate cancer cell growth. Berries are one of the richest sources of anthocyanins and many experts believe that our ancestors ate far more anthocyanins than we do. In comparison, many researchers believe we are deficient in anthocyanins.

White: The onion family which includes leeks, scallions, onions, & garlic all contain the sulfur containing compound called allicin. This is a powerful anti-microbial that destroys bacteria, viruses, & fungi. Allicin is also a powerful anti-inflammatory that destroys cancer, lowers cholesterol, and reduces inflammatory damage to the heart and vasculature.

Mushrooms contain beta-glucan, selenium, vitamin B6, zinc, & copper that are critical for healthy immune function and the formation of the cellular anti-oxidant glutathione. Cauliflower contains the phytochemicals Indole-3-Carbonyl and Sulforaphanes which are some of nature's most powerful cancer fighters.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/030546_food_colors.html#ixzz1QZIehQR0

Fruit Myths

• “If I drink one glass of apple juice and one glass of orange juice that counts 2 servings of fruit” – A glass (200ml) of 100% fruit juice only counts once towards the 5-A-DAY target for fruit and vegetables, regardless of how much you drink – this is because fruit juice has very little fibre.

• “Some fruits are healthier than others” – Different fruits contain different amounts of vitamins, mineral and phytochemcials. The best way to make sure you get the full range of all these beneficial compounds is to eat a variety of fruit. When you’re planning meals aim to fill your plate with colour – think of the colours in a rainbow and try to eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetables from each of the colour bands each and every day.

• “Organic fruit contains more vitamins than fruit grown with pesticides” – While some studies show that organic fruit does contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals, others show there is no significant difference. All fruit, however it is grown, provides useful amounts of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.

• “Pesticide residues in fruit increases the risk of cancer” – Experts agree that health benefits associated with eating more fruit and vegetables far outweighs any potential risk from pesticides.

• “Some fruits such as watermelon and tropical fruit have a high Glycaemic Index (GI) so they are best avoided” - The GI is only one measurement of what makes a food healthy. Other factors, such as the vitamin content and the amount of fat it contains are also important. Watermelon actually has an intermediate GI value (as does pineapple and paw paw) and it is an excellent source of anti-oxidants.

• “Bananas are fattening” – Bananas contain slightly more calories than many other fruit (1 small banana contains 76kcals) but they are not high in calories and are certainly not fattening. Bananas make a great snack and are a rich in vitamin B6 and potassium ( which helps control blood pressure).

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A Few Interesting Fruit Facts

Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.

Apples contain an antioxidant that fights cancer .

The banana plant is in the same family as the lily and the orchid.

A medium-sized orange contains the amount of vitamin C that a healthy adult should eat daily.

Olive trees can live for more than 1,500 years.

Kiwis are packed full of cancer fighting Beta-Carotene and contain twice as much Vitamin C as an orange.

People who eat a lot of fruit need to consum less water.

Lemons are popular for cleaning because they are high in acid – which kills bacteria.

Grapes have grown wild since pre-historic times.

Pear wood is hard and can be used to make furniture.

There are more than 100 varieties of bananas, some even have red skin.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

100% percent fruit juice is a great way to get started every morning.

Kiwi fruit is said to promote respiratory health and ease wheezing and night coughing.

The largest fruits are giant pumpkins, specially grown and bred for their size. The largest ones can weigh over 1,000 pounds!

Growing giant pumpkins is a fine art, and there are many different ideas about how to do it best. Many growers keep their methods secret. Some use heating cables to protect against cold weather, or special fertilizers for maximum growth. Giant pumpkin vines are pampered and watched carefully.