Fruit ripener poses no danger, experts say

BEIJING - A chemical that ripens fruits and vegetables does no harm to human health, experts said following recent reports about a ripener used in several provinces.

"There is no problem with using ethephon to ripen fruits. This plant growth regulator is completely the same as hormones produced by plants themselves when they get ripe," Luo Yunbo, dean of the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering under China Agricultural University and an expert of plant physiology, told China Daily on Monday.

"The chemical is safe enough that there is even no need for detection," Luo said.