Chemical mango video is fake – Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters clears air

The Federation of Associations of Ghanaian Exporters (FAGE) has debunked claims made in a viral social media video that mangoes are being chemically injected to hasten the ripening process.

According to FAGE, mangoes in Ghana adhere strictly to Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) per international standards and are thus safe for human consumption as they ripen through a natural process influenced by factors such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to ethylene gas.

In a press statement signed by its president, Davies Korboe, the federation described the said video as deceptive and called on its creators to retract and apologize for the harm caused.

For information regarding the quality of food, FAGE urged the public to rely on organisations such as the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and Plant Protection & Regulatory Services (PPRSD).

Read the full statement below:

The video circulating on social media showed a man injecting chemicals into mangoes on the Ghanaian market. FAGE, the mango industry and the people of Ghana are urging consumers to verify information from reliable sources such as FAGE, the FDA, PPRSD, MoFA, GSA and other health research institutions and government agencies responsible for food safety and agriculture.

FAGE also encourages consumers to rely on evidence-based information when assessing claims or publications that lack credibility or scientific substance.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 may ask 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 string 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.

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.

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.

Mr. Israel Mensah and his #goodlivingghana team are hereby advised to retract and render an unqualified apology to FAGE, the mango industry and the good people of Ghana for circulating a false video which seeks the 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 international standards and is totally safe for human consumption. Consumers are therefore advised to disregard the said callous, disingenuous 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