COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF NATURALLY OCCURRING AND INTENTIONALLY ADDED FORMALDEHYDE ON DIFFERENT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables is a critical post-harvest consideration to ensure their maximum utilization. However, recent reports suggest that formaldehyde is illegally used for this purpose, despite a lack of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness. Additionally, formaldehyde consumption poses severe health risks. This study investigates the impact of both naturally occurring and intentionally added formaldehyde on various fruits and vegetables to dispel misconceptions regarding its role in shelf-life extension. Formaldehyde content was analyzed in seven fruits—mango (Mangifera indica), apple (Malus domestica), litchi (Litchi chinensis), grape (Vitis vinifera), banana (Musa sapientum), pineapple (Ananas comosus), and guava (Psidium guajava)—and six vegetables—cucumber (Cucumis sativus), green papaya (Carica papaya), eggplant (Solanum melongena), mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), carrot (Daucus carota), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)—using colorimetric analysis via UV-Visible spectroscopy. The natural formaldehyde content in fruits ranged from 6.36±0.25 to 16.97±0.23 mg/kg, while in vegetables, it ranged from 4.04±0.24 to 18.14±0.73 mg/kg, showing no potential to extend shelf life. Furthermore, the addition of 1000 mg/kg formaldehyde did not result in any significant improvement in shelf stability. These findings confirm that formaldehyde is ineffective as a preservative while posing serious health hazards to consumers and handlers. This study provides crucial insights for policymakers, food safety authorities, and businesses to enforce regulations against the illegal use of formaldehyde in food products and promote safer preservation methods.