The Jinghua Times reported Tuesday that Beijing fruit sellers use lime and liquid chemicals to ripen mangos to earn more money, but their scrupulous methods can harm people's health.

A reporter from the Jinhua Times visited a Beijing fruit market in Daxing District and found many workshops there where the venders use lime and chemical liquids to accelerate the ripening process of mangoes.

A fruit seller surnamed Zhu showed the reporter how to ripen mangoes in two days, which normally takes five days or more. First Zhu put lime powder in a basin with some water and added some HG 2312-1992, a chemical used to make pesticides.

Then he poured the lime mix onto rough sheets of paper usually used to package fruits. When the papers were still wet, the workers wearing gloves would place them in the box and then place the mangoes on top. After a layer was completed, more of this paper was added, and more mangoes added on top. When this was finished, the box was placed in a warm room and two days later, the green mangoes became yellow.

Zhu has been in the business for more than five years and he said accelerating the ripening process of one kilogram of these mangoes can earn him 2 yuan ($0.3) from other fruit sellers.


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