What you should consider before buying ripe banana





You should be careful when buying ripe banana fruit in Kenya market. Some unscrupulous business persons are using a chemical to hasten the ripening process of banana to boost their sales; however, this chemical (calcium carbide) causes cancer.  What is calcium carbide?  Calcium carbide is a chemical with chemical formula CaC2. Industrially it is used to produce acetylene gas and calcium cyanamide.  Calcium carbide is produced in electric arc furnace at around temperature of 2200 degree centigrade as shown in chemical reaction below:
CaO(s) + 3C(s) = CaC2(s) + CO (g), more on this can be accessed from Calcium Carbide
The acetylene gas acts the same way as the ethylene naturally produced hormone by plants to initiate the ripening process.  Business people take calcium carbide and dissolve it in water to give acetylene gas and  spread calcium carbide solution over the bunch of the banana and then cover the banana bunch for one and half day. During the process of acetylene gas production, other chemicals such as phosphorus and arsenic contained in the calcium carbide are also released.  Phosphorus and arsenic are known to cause cancer.  The reaction of calcium carbide occurs as follow:
CaC2(s) + 2H2O (l) = C2H2 (g) + Ca(OH)2(s)
According to the recent investigation carried in Gikomba,  Marikiti and Kongwea  by the Star Newspaper  in 2014 indicates that traders use calcium carbide  to quicken the ripening of banana, mangoes , and oranges.  Medical experts have warned of the adverse effects of the chemical. When one is exposed to the chemical, it leads to miscarriages among the expectant mothers, eye irritation, diarrhea, skin ulcers,   breath shortness, sore throat and fluid accumulation in the lungs.  The continuous exposure to calcium carbide results in the destruction of the neurological system, headaches, dizziness, and memory loss and mood disturbance.  

Safer methods of ripening of fruits exist hence business people should use them than using calcium carbide. These methods encompass; ethephon(however, ephephon is expensive), using of avocado and passion fruits.  Ripe bananas in which the peels are ripe while the inside are not, maybe some of the banana that traders have used the calcium carbide to fasten their ripening process.   

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