Is Red-Fleshed Kiwifruit Genetically Modified? A Detailed Guide to Consumption During Pregnancy and Ripening Methods

Red-fleshed kiwifruit is a fruit that serves both as food and medicine, with those from Sichuan and Zhejiang being the most famous. So is it genetically modified? Can pregnant women eat it? How do you ripen the unripe ones you bought? Let's find out together below!

Is red-fleshed kiwifruit genetically modified?

In fact, red-fleshed kiwifruit is not genetically modified. Red-fleshed kiwifruit is one of the kiwifruit varieties, a rare and superior variety bred by selecting individual seedlings from wild kiwifruit. It belongs to the red-fleshed variant of Chinese kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) and is an extra-early-maturing kiwifruit variety, with no connection to genetic modification.

The skin of red-fleshed kiwifruit is greenish-brown, and the fruit is short and cylindrical in shape, medium-to-large and uniform in size, with a hairless surface. The flesh is green with a yellow tinge, tender, moderately sweet and tart, and refreshingly fragrant. Because the cross-section of the fruit's core shows radial purplish-red stripes resembling the rays of the sun, it is also called “Hongyang kiwifruit.”

Can pregnant women eat red-fleshed kiwifruit?

Pregnant women, this special group of people, can eat red-fleshed kiwifruit. Red-fleshed kiwifruit is not only rich in nutrients but can also be said to be a must-have in people's daily lives! Red-fleshed kiwifruit contains abundant vitamins and folic acid, and these elements are very good for pregnant women. Red-fleshed kiwifruit is rich in vitamin C, absolutely beneficial and harmless, and can help expectant mothers prevent pregnancy chloasma. It can also boost the immunity of pregnant women.

Eating red-fleshed kiwifruit during pregnancy can stabilize mood and improve sleep quality; moreover, red-fleshed kiwifruit is also good for the baby!

Because red-fleshed kiwifruit is rich in folic acid, which is good for the baby's development, especially brain development; therefore, expectant mothers can eat red-fleshed kiwifruit in moderation, but they just need to be careful not to eat too much!

The red-fleshed kiwifruit you bought is not ripe, how do you ripen it?

1. Put a ripe apple or banana together with fresh kiwifruit, then seal them tightly in a sealed bag. Leave them for 3-4 days or even about a week, and the kiwifruit surrounding the apple or banana will quickly be ripened and become soft, so that the fuzzy skin can be easily peeled off. Fruits such as apples or bananas release a small amount of ethylene during their natural ripening process, and ethylene is one of the five natural plant hormones commonly found in plants, which has a ripening effect on fruit. Generally, place one cut apple or banana per kilogram of kiwifruit; the more apples or bananas you add, the better the ripening effect. If the temperature is too low, the ripening time will be extended.

2. The approach from a professional or production perspective, that is, using suitable temperatures and specific chemical substances such as ethylene, acetylene, ethanol, etc. to promote the ripening of kiwifruit. Usually the best environmental conditions for ripening kiwifruit are: a temperature of 21-25°C, a relative humidity of 90%, and sufficient oxygen. If ethephon is used as the ripening agent, the effective concentration of ethephon is 1000-1200ppm. Soak fresh kiwifruit in ethephon solution for about 1 minute, remove and drain, or evenly spray the ethephon solution onto the surface of the kiwifruit and let the liquid dry, then put the kiwifruit containing ethephon into a plastic film bag without sealing the bag opening. After 3-4 days, ripening is complete, making the kiwifruit soft.