Calcium carbide traditionally used for ripening fruits in the form of a powder/granules is known to absorb moisture and produce acetylene, which being a weak analogue of ethylene, is responsible for triggering the ripening process. On ripening by calcium carbide, the green fruits turn yellow with little increase in sweetness. Though fruits appear ripened, they remain unripe and sour from within. The aroma, flavor, and taste of carbide gas-ripened mangoes also smell slightly different as compared to naturally ripened mangoes. Such fruits have a very short shelf life and deteriorate within a very short period.
Calcium carbide is commonly used in gas welding and is available as MASALA at a very cheap cost. Being easily available and simplicity of its use, calcium carbide is used extensively in the ripening of fruits. In the presence of moisture, when calcium carbide produces acetylene gas, it also produces arsine and phosphine gases, which are present as impurities in the calcium carbide. Both arsine and phosphine get deposited on the fruit surface and find entry in the outer skin (peel) and pulp. Accordingly, arsenic contents are found on the fruits from this arsine gas. Experimentally, it has been found that mangoes collected from the fruit market contained arsenic content on the fruit surface, peel, and pulp from 35-107 microgram/kg (35-107 ppb). While those ripened without calcium carbide did not contain any arsenic. Thus, the estimation of arsenic can be used as a tool to identify calcium-carbide-ripened mangoes.
Consumption of carbide-ripened mangoes exerts adverse effects on health. Major symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, burning sensation in the chest and abdomen, difficulty in speaking and swallowing, etc. Sometimes the symptoms lead to a cancer-like dreaded disease. As such consumers need to be cautious and follow precautions while using such fruits.

i. If you find carbide sachets in the fruit box or crate, do not use such fruits or use them only after treatment.
ii. In case the fruits are deep yellow in color, with deep shining, or seem to contain a powder-like substance, it is an indication of carbide gas ripened mangoes.
iii. Carbide-ripened mangoes look ripened only from the outer surface, from inside they remain unripe and tart in taste.
iv. Dip mangoes in cold water or 2% sodium carbonate solution for at least 12 hours and wash properly before consumption. Experimentally, it has been observed that the use of this treatment reduced arsenic content from the fruit surface, peel, and pulp by 85-89%.

Therefore, consumers can either stop the consumption of carbide-ripened mangoes or use them after following the above treatment to avoid any ill health-related issues. It is a matter of satisfaction that things have started changing with the consistent efforts of the Food Authority. Bananas are now being ripened by using ethylene gas in chambers. A few mangoes are also being ripened using FSSAI-approved ethylene sachets. Hence, with sustained efforts and bringing awareness among consumers, the menace of calcium carbide in fruit ripening