CONTENTS

1. Calcium Carbide

Calcium Carbide

Context:

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has alerted traders’/fruits handlers/Food Business Operators (FBOs) operating ripening chambers to strictly ensure compliance with the prohibition on calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruits, particularly during the mango season.

Relevance:

Facts for Prelims

About Calcium Carbide

Chemical Composition:

• It is a compound with the chemical formula CaC2 and is also known as ‘masala’.

Common Use:

• Commonly used for ripening fruits like mangoes, it releases acetylene gas containing harmful traces of arsenic and phosphorus.

Manufacturing Process:

• Manufactured by heating a lime and carbon mixture to 2000 to 2100°C (3632 to 3812°F) in an electric arc furnace.

Regulation:

• Prohibited under the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011.

Application

Industries:

• Used in mining and metal industries, as well as in the production of acetylene gas.

Fruit Ripening:

• Highly reactive and releases acetylene gas, which is used to artificially ripen fruits.

Health Impacts

Health Risks:

• Can cause serious health issues such as dizziness, frequent thirst, irritation, weakness, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers.
• Acetylene gas is equally hazardous to those handling it.

Residue Risks:

• Calcium carbide may come into direct contact with fruits during application, leaving residues of arsenic and phosphorus on the fruits.