Researchers at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have developed a rapid, non-destructive method for detecting calcium carbide, a banned fruit ripening agent, in bananas.

Calcium carbide, locally known as “cambad,” is a chemical shortcut that's as harmful as it sounds.

Widely used to artificially ripen fruits, it is prohibited in many countries due to its harmful effects on human health, including potential links to cancer and other serious illnesses.

In Ghana, some vendors get creative with their banana-ripening methods.

They either wrap calcium carbide in newspaper, sprinkle it with water, and tuck it under a pile of bananas like a questionable science experiment, or they dunk the fruits in a carbide solution for a quick “spa treatment” before packing them up.

The result? Bananas that look ripe on the outside but come with a side of potential serious health risks and nutritional compromise.

However, most methods for detecting the banned substance involve destroying the fruit. But there’s good news. KNUST scientists have come up with a non-destructive method to identify these chemically enhanced fruits.

The results, published in Nature Journal of Science of Food, detail a combination of scientific methods to detect carbide-ripened bananas, whether peeled or unpeeled.

The team tested two banana varieties and even identified the type of carbide treatment and how long the fruits were subjected to the carbide bath.

Dr. John-Lewis Zinia Zaukuu, the lead author from the Food Science Department, announced, “This method not only ensures consumer safety but also provides a practical economical solution for regulatory bodies and the food industry to monitor and control the use of harmful ripening agents.”