Social media is filled with content creators and food experts talking about ‘dye injected’ watermelon being sold in markets, health risks they cause and the tricks to distinguish these watermelons from the natural ones.
However, amid all the noise, Agriculturist and food processing expert, Krish Ashok shared a video clearing our doubts.
According to Singh the videos of stuff being injected into watermelons are ‘STAGED AND FAKE’.
In his video Ashok explained that injecting dye or food colouring agent is impractical and every year these incidents which hit the headlines are mostly myths and not a common practice.
He explained that injecting chemicals into watermelon will only affect that area, not the whole fruit. Further he added injections leave behind visible holes and will cause the fruit to rot rapidly in the Indian summer.
He shared in his post caption -
Thanks to social media, all of us now have the memory of goldfishes on a starvation diet. I have been seeing dramatic scaremongering stories about colour injected watermelons for almost a DECADE and for some reason, it never turns out to be the public health crisis those stories always make it out to be. So what gives?
So I’m going to take a controversial stand and call bullshit on this one. Every year, this is just clickbait ripe for the plucking and that’s all there is to it. It is NOT actually an issue at all. Injecting melons with dye is, for starters, completely stupid and impractical. But, the story works every year simply because we find it easy to believe that poor people are out to poison us all.
And by the way - all those actual videos of stuff being injected - THEY ARE STAGED AND FAKE
He adds that Indian farmers cannot afford to take this kind of risk.
According to Krish Ashok, a scientific way to validate this is to randomly collect watermelons from multiple places and test them in a lab. He mentioned that it was indeed done in Karnataka 9 years ago and no traces of red dye was found.
Hydration: Watermelons are about 92% water, helping you stay hydrated and maintain your fluid balance in the hot weather.
Nutrient-Rich: Watermelons are packed with vitamins A, C, and B6, as well as antioxidants like lycopene, which support overall health and immune function.
Low in Calories: Being low in calories, watermelons make for a guilt-free, refreshing snack that can aid in weight management.
Supports Heart Health: Lycopene and citrulline in watermelons help improve blood flow and may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Aids Digestion: The high water content and dietary fiber in watermelons promote healthy digestion and prevent constipation.
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