Artificial ripening of fruits has become a common practice in many developing countries to satisfy the increasing market demand and reduce post-harvest losses. Among various artificial ripening agents, calcium carbide (CaC2) has been widely used because of its low cost, easy availability, and rapid ripening ability. When calcium carbide comes into contact with moisture, it produces acetylene gas, which acts similarly to ethylene by accelerating the ripening process. However, commercial calcium carbide often contains hazardous impurities such as arsenic and phosphine, making its use a serious public health concern. Consumption of calcium carbide-ripened fruits has been associated with several adverse health effects, including irritation of the oral cavity, gastrointestinal disorders, respiratory complications, neurological symptoms, hepatic and renal dysfunction, reproductive toxicity, and potential carcinogenic risks. In addition to its direct effects on consumers, calcium carbide also adversely affects the nutritional quality, flavor, texture, aroma, and shelf life of fruits. Due to these health hazards, the use of calcium carbide for artificial fruit ripening has been prohibited in many countries, including India under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Safer alternatives such as controlled ethylene ripening have been recommended for commercial fruit production. This review summarizes the chemistry of calcium carbide, mechanisms of artificial fruit ripening, toxicological effects on human health, impact on fruit quality, detection methods, current regulations, and safer alternatives. The review also highlights existing knowledge gaps and future research directions for improving food safety and protecting public health.
Calcium carbide, Artificial fruit ripening, Acetylene, Food safety, Toxicity, Human health, Ethylene, Fruit quality.
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