Re: Injection of mangoes with chemicals to

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Re: Injection of mangoes with chemicals to accelerate ripening by marketers in Ghana

Dear Readers,

1. It has come to the attention of the Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) that there is a false video in circulation on social media alleging that mangoes are being injected with chemicals to accelerate the ripening process for consumption. According to the video, this act is perpetuated by marketers of fruits in Ghana. We want to state categorically that this claim is baseless and not supported by reliable evidence or authoritative sources.

2. We are well informed about the calculated attempt by some groups and individuals seeking to do the bidding of faceless organizations that seek to degrade the image of the hard-earned Ghanaian farmers and exporters to the advantage of the imported fruits which the ordinary Ghanaian is clueless of their origin and mode of production.

3. This trajectory has occasioned due to the sustained competitiveness of the Ghanaian agro-products on the international market. The said Mr. Israel Mensah and the #goodlivingghana handlers are perhaps uninformed about mango preservation in Ghana.

4. Mangoes, like many other fruits, naturally ripen over time through a natural process influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to ethylene gas, which is a natural plant hormone. There is no need for any external chemical intervention to ripen mangoes. In fact, mangoes contain essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that contribute to their nutritional value and health benefits.

5. Various methods are commonly used to ripen mangoes naturally, including placing them in paper bags to trap the ethylene gas produced by the fruit. These acts accelerate the ripening process. This method is widely recognized and practiced by consumers worldwide, specifically marketers of mango in Ghana.

6. While it is crucial to rely on credible sources and scientific research when evaluating food safety and quality, the video appears to cast a dark shadow on the prospects of mango production and marketing in Ghana.

7. The mango industry in Ghana, under the ambience of FAGE and other regulatory bodies like the FDA, PPRSD, MoFA and GSA, has in the past decades, adhered to strict agricultural practices, quality control measures, and international standards to ensure the safety and integrity of the fruits consumed in Ghana and also exported beyond the borders of Ghana.

8. It is only natural that such acts, if true, must have been presented to the FDA, PPRSD, MoFA, GSA or FAGE for investigation. Interestingly, neither did the video provide any proof from any of these credible institutions nor any evidence of a victim of the said chemically injected mangoes on the Ghanaian market.

9. It is rather unfortunate that people are now using our social media space to comment on issues they are ignorant about. Per this reportage, one questions how a fruit vendor is able to inject a gaseous substance (ethylene) into a fruit.

Dear consumer, let this question whirl your mind. Is it not obvious that the gas will even escape into the atmosphere from the syringe before any attempt to inject it into any object? Let us not give audience to a video whose contents only tell a story of scientific illiteracy.

10. FAGE wishes to reaffirm its commitment to uphold the safety and well-being of the Ghanaian consumer. Fruits produced, marketed and exported from Ghana over the years have been under the lens of the regulatory bodies and agricultural authorities in different countries who play a vital role in monitoring and maintaining the safety of agricultural produce from Ghana.

11. We encourage all consumers to verify such information from reliable sources such as FAGE, the FDA, PPRSD, MoFA, GSA and other established health research institutions and government agencies responsible for food safety and agriculture.

12. Mr. Israel Mensah and his #goodlivingghana team are hereby advised to retract and further more render an unqualified apology to FAGE, the mango industry and the good people of Ghana for circulating a false video which seeks to damage the hard earned reputation of the industry. We wish to remind all consumers of mangoes produced in Ghana that their consumption is totally safe. Mangoes produced in Ghana undergo strict adherence to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) per the international standards and is totally safe for human consumption. Consumers are therefore advised to disregard the said callous, ingenious and unsubstantiated documentary which only seeks to tarnish the image of the mango industry in Ghana.

FAGE wishes to remind consumers that it is always important to rely on evidence-based information when assessing claims or publications that lack credibility or scientific substance.

Davies Korboe President-FAGE