Watermelon growers reel from online drive
A viral social media narrative claiming that watermelons are being injected with chemicals to turn them red has sparked widespread concern, leading to a significant drop in watermelon prices.
This misinformation has caused distress among farmers, who are already struggling to make ends meet.
For years, misleading claims about injecting watermelons to enhance their colour have circulated, but this year, the debate intensified when a local doctor, who frequently posts about the benefits and harms of various foods, alleged that chemicals injected into watermelons to make them red pose a health risk.
Meher Abdul Rehman, a farmer from Lahore who has grown watermelons on more than 25 acres, debunked these claims in an interview with The Express Tribune.
He stated that his family has been in the farming business for generations and has never seen watermelons inoculated to enhance their colour.
Rehman suspects that pharmaceutical companies and social media propagandists might be behind these false claims to discourage fruit consumption during the summer season.
An investigation by Express into the viral videos and pictures of watermelon grafting on social media revealed that many of the images originate from India and are actually educational content created by vloggers to explain how watermelons are grafted.
Minhaj Khan, a seasoned fruit vendor in Lahore's largest fruit and vegetable market, dismissed the inoculation claims as baseless.
Khan, who has decades of experience, said he has never encountered an incident where watermelons were injected with any substance to enhance their colour.
Dr Anjum Ali Butar, former Director General of Punjab Agriculture Department (Extension) and agronomist, told The Express Tribune that high-quality seeds for various vegetables, including watermelon, are widely available in the market and guarantee excellent crop yields.
These seeds, imported from foreign countries, produce watermelons with naturally red flesh, eliminating the need for artificial color enhancement.
Dr. Butar acknowledged that while food adulteration is a widespread issue in the region, there has been no official case of a farmer inoculating watermelons to turn them red.
The technical team at the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) clarified that the social media claims likely refer to Erythrosine, a synthetic food dye used worldwide to colour various food products.
According to PFA experts, Erythrosine is used to enhance the colour of baked goods, sweet treats, drinks, and more.
The Pakistan Pure Food Rules 1965 also permit a certain amount of Erythrosine.
Experts further explained that if a watermelon is punctured, it will spoil within three to four hours, and any injected substance will leak out. Additionally, watermelons lack veins, making it impossible to inject a substance that would turn the fruit red.
In response to the social media propaganda, the PFA conducted thorough inspections of watermelons sold in markets across various districts. So far, no evidence has been found to support the claim that watermelons are being inoculated and turned red.
Experts also provided tips for recognising a good watermelon: a ripe watermelon will have a yellow spot where it rested on the ground and will produce a deep, buzzing sound when tapped.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 4th, 2024.