24th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
25th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
26th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
27th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
28th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
29th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
30th May文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Yesterday, the flowers on top of the two cucumbers finally withered, 10 days after the cucumbers were bought from the vegetable market.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
On May 24th, Mr Chi, a dedicated reader of the evening paper, made a special trip to the newspaper office, bringing along two cucumbers with their blossoms still attached that he had bought from the Chengnan vegetable market in the urban area. “It's said that the blossoms on these cucumbers have amazing vitality; even if you leave them for a week and the cucumber shrivels up, the flower will still look exactly the same.‘ Seeing that the reporter was somewhat sceptical, Mr Chi went on to say, ’If you don't believe it, you can put it to the test.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
So, the reporter conducted an experiment using these two cucumbers. A week later, on May 30th, the reporter was astonished to find that the situation was indeed as Mr Chi had described.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
What on earth is going on here? What kind of myth is this “cucumber with the flower still attached”? The reporter then consulted experts from the agricultural economics department, only to receive a shocking answer. Subsequently, the reporter found out from online searches that these “cucumbers with flowers still attached” are quite controversial.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
A文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
What it looked like when bought with the flower still attached is what it still looks like a week later.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Weekly observation record文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
On the morning of May 24th, Mr Chi brought in these two cucumbers. At first glance, these two cucumbers didn't look any different from other cucumbers. But upon closer inspection, they had protrusions at the top, making the flower stems appear very large. After photographing and recording these two cucumbers, the reporter placed them in a shady spot under the office desk.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
On the morning of May 25, the reporter took out the cucumber. The body of the cucumber had shrivelled somewhat, though the blossom on the end was still firm. The cucumber was photographed and recorded once again.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
On 26 May, the bodies of two cucumbers had withered, but the top flowers showed no signs of drying out or dropping. That day, apart from taking photos, the reporter placed these two cucumbers in two different locations—one facing the light and the other in the shade.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Early on the morning of May 27th, the bodies of two cucumbers had shrivelled, yet their top flowers were still attached and showed no signs of withstanding. Moreover, the two cucumbers showed no difference despite being in different shaded and sunny positions. That same day, the reporter took photographs once more to document it.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Observed continuously for 3 days on May 28th, 29th, and 30th, the bodies of the two cucumbers continued to shrivel, but the blossom on top seemed to have eaten the elixir of life, its appearance remaining unchanged—just like an uncle lit by a lantern (unchanged/the same as before). Photos were taken to record all 3 of these days.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
B文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Blossom-end cucumber with flower still attached” is a hormone-treated cucumber.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
agricultural economics experts diagnose problems文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
There are widespread and terrifying rumours about this unusual cucumber circulating on the streets.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“It must be that hormones like freshness preservers are sprayed on the calyxes.” At the Sanshuiawan farmers“ market in the urban area, some vegetable vendors hold this view. In their opinion, spraying hormones such as freshness preservers onto the calyxes of cucumbers can prolong the flowering period and improve their appearance. ”Nowadays, children are all going through precocious puberty, and people say it's because they eat too many hormones. Spraying hormones on cucumbers certainly can't be good."文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Elder Xu, who lives in Hedong Flats, is a demolition relocation resident. Having worked as a farmer for the better part of his life, he drew upon his years of experience in growing vegetables to insist that “this kind of cucumber has definitely been sprayed with chemicals.” Elder Xu firmly opposed these unconventional cucumbers, stating, “Cucumbers that have been sprayed with chemicals can't possibly be good for people to eat.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
So, exactly what was sprayed on these unusual cucumbers? And what are the actual health implications for humans who eat them? Many greengrocers and farmers interviewed by reporters couldn't give a proper explanation.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Subsequently, the reporter took these two “cucumbers with persistent blossoms” to Zhang Yuehua, head of the municipal agricultural bureau's plant protection station, for diagnosis.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Having listened to the reporter's introduction, Zhang Yuehua took a close look at the cucumbers and immediately made her judgment: “These two cucumbers must have been sprayed with plant hormones.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
According to Zhang Yuehua, naturally grown cucumbers generally do not have a raised “bump” at the base of the flower stem; a “lump”-like swelling there is a typical characteristic of having been sprayed with plant hormones. Guided by Zhang Yuehua, the reporter looked closely at the two cucumbers again and indeed found that both had raised “bumps” at the base of their flower stems.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Cucumber flowers are divided into male and female flowers, and only female flowers can bear fruit. On the day the female flower blooms, it is very fresh, and by the second day it begins to wilt. By the third and fourth days, the flower gradually withers. Under normal circumstances, when naturally grown cucumbers mature, a part of the flower remains, but it is very small and already withered, and will fall off naturally when gently touched with a finger. Zhang Yuehua analysed that cucumbers with flowers attached and prickles, whose flower stalks do not fall off, must have had some hormonal chemicals sprayed on the flower stalks of mature cucumbers by vendors to cater to a certain psychology of consumers, thereby prolonging their flowering period.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
C文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Are hormone-treated cucumbers harmful to health?文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Core issues focus文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
According to Zhang Yuehua, agricultural products are currently categorised, mainly intoOrganic Foodstufforganic food, green food, and pollution-free food. According to the requirements of production technical specifications,Organic FoodstuffGreen food does not allow the addition of hormones such as preservatives, whereas non-polluting food does not make such explicit prohibitions.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
For pollution-free food, cucumbers grown in greenhouses often have weak flower ends during pollination and fruit setting due to insufficient light, making them prone to falling off. Spraying some plant hormones at this stage can act to “protect the fruit”, which is permitted in the production process and is very common. However, they can generally only be sprayed once per production cycle, and there are requirements regarding the quantity used.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“This hormone-treated cucumber was very likely sprayed after it had matured, just as the blossom end was about to wither,” said Zhang Yuehua.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
So, precisely which kind of hormone is sprayed on hormone-treated cucumbers like these? Zhang Yuehua stated that it is very difficult to identify.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
According to reports, current agricultural product testing nationwide focuses primarily on pesticide residues, rather than whether hormone levels exceed limits. At the same time, it is still difficult to test whether hormones in agricultural products exceed limits, and this remains a regulatory blind spot.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Hormones are divided into two types: animal hormones and plant hormones. Currently, for health and safety reasons, we are focusing our regulatory efforts on animal hormones, such as those in pigs and chickens. The antibiotics injected into them are used to prevent disease, but humans can experience adverse reactions after consuming them.” According to Zhang Yuehua, for health and safety reasons, neither animal nor plant hormones should be abused and must be kept within certain standard limits.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Journalists searched the internet for information regarding “hormone cucumbers” and found a vast number of entries covering all parts of the country. However, opinions varied widely on whether eating hormone cucumbers is harmful to human health, and there is still no authoritative scientific conclusion.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
However, reporters found that a widespread claim on the internet suggests that cucumbers sprayed with such plant hormones, if eaten by children over a long period, will eventually lead to precocious puberty; and if eaten by women over a long period, may cause infertility. According to reports, this plant hormone on cucumbers is called “Contraceptive Pill No. 2”, which, in addition to keeping the cucumbers fresh, can also accelerate growth and increase yields.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
D文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Where are the hormone-treated cucumbers in the Jiaxing market produced?文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
journalist investigation文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Yesterday afternoon, a reporter went to the Chengnan Vegetable Market in the urban area, where they easily found the hormone-treated cucumbers with unfallen blossoms.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
At a stall near the market entrance, a pile of cucumbers with yellow blossoms still attached to their prickly skins was stacked up. Quite a few shoppers were stopping to pick them out. The reporter found that this type of prickly cucumber with flowers still on sold very well, even better than other cucumbers.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“How much is a pound?” “Two pounds fifty,” said the stallholder, with cucumbers without flowers being two pounds a pound.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Why are the ones with flowers more expensive?” the reporter asked.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Fresh with the flowers on, just picked.” The stallholder said these cucumbers were sourced from the vegetable wholesale market.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“How long will these flowers last without dropping?” “If you don't water them, they'll drop naturally,” the stallholder replied.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
However, when the reporter took the two cucumbers with their flower stalks still attached out of the bag and explained that they had been observing them for a week already, the stallholders were one by one dumbfounded and sceptical, exclaiming, “How is this possible?”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Residents buying groceries also gathered around at the reporter's remarks, but soon turned away dismissively. They also thought “this is impossible”. “Cucumbers with flowers are fresh and freshly picked, we believe that, and it's normal if they're a bit pricey. But for the flowers to keep not withering, who's going to believe that!”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
The reporter then went to the city's vegetable wholesale market. In the trading area, the reporter also easily found this alternative type of cucumber. In front of a large lorry, bags of cucumbers with their flowers still attached and covered in prickles were piled up, and the stall owner was promoting them: “The ones with flowers are one pound fifty a pound, and the ones without flowers are one pound a pound.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“Why are the ones with flowers more expensive?”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
“They’re brought in from Shandong, freshly picked from the greenhouse,” the stallholder explained to the reporter.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
According to the stallholder, it takes two days on the road from Shandong to Jiaxing. “Each shipment brings in several thousand jin, with a total weight of around a tonne. Basically, all the prickly cucumbers with flowers still attached in Jiaxing's farmers” markets are wholesaled from me."文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Previously, reporters also conducted on-site investigative visits to farmers“ markets in urban areas such as Sanshuiwan and Yangliuwan, and found that such alternative cucumbers were not available at every stall. As for the reason why the blossom ends continued to not drop, those questioned all stated they did not understand the cause. However, these ”flower-on-top, un-wilted" alternative cucumbers look fresh and are very popular with shoppers buying groceries.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Yesterday, a reporter conducted an on-site investigation around the city's vegetable wholesale market and found a shop selling pesticides. When the reporter stated that they wanted to keep cucumbers fresh, the shop owner immediately recommended a liquid pesticide named “moxianamine”.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
The reporter checked the instructions for this pesticide, which indicated that it only needed to be mixed with water to dissolve, and then sprayed on vegetables such as cucumbers to keep them fresh. At the shop, the owner also recommended a liquid hormone named “920” to the reporter. The reporter checked the instructions for this hormone, and the method of use was almost identical.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
With vegetables such as cucumbers now coming into season in abundance, Zhang Yuehua advises members of the public that, from the perspectives of naturalness, safety and nutrition, they should adopt a sensible approach to consumption and avoid, as far as possible, buying hormone-treated cucumbers with flower stalks that refuse to wilt and “lumps” at the base.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/
Source: Nanhu Evening News 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/11238/