We went to the store not long ago and bought what we hoped would be a ripe, sweet, juicy watermelon. Upon cutting it open, we were surprised at what we saw: a huge crack that resembled a three-pointed sand dollar. It was more than a crack: it was more like a small crevasse.

This is not how a watermelon should appear. So what does it mean when it looks like this? It means it has possibly been injected with chemicals to make it more red or to grow faster. The huge cracks in our watermelon tell me it was a chemical to speed up the growing process, making it grow too fast for its body, causing the cracks. Also, if you get a super-red melon, it probably had red dye injected.

What kind of stuff has been used to inject watermelons? According to onlymyhealth.com, the chemicals include carbide, lead chromate, methanol yellow, nitrogen, oxytocin, and Sudan red. Eating a lot of this crap could cause food poisoning, damage to the liver & kidneys, loss of blood, damage to brain cells, and blindness.

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So what do you look for to avoid buying a chemically-treated watermelon? If there is a dusting of powder on the surface, it may be carbide, which is used to speed up the growing process. If you want to buy it anyway, make sure you wash the outside thoroughly before cutting into it. Also, if there is a small hole in the middle, it could be a sign of injection.

After cutting, you could see (what looks like) a burn spot left by chemicals. Or, the center could have unnatural holes or crater-like cracks. If you see any of these, take it back to the store.

Still not sure? Let your watermelon sit out for four days. It takes approximately a month or more for one to spoil, so if - after four days – your watermelon starts spitting out water or foam, toss it.

If you are really craving watermelon this summer, try buying one from a roadside stand or farmer's market. Those melons are likely to be more organic and naturally grown.

If you have any disagreement with any of the above findings or information, refer all your queries, complaints, etc. to the site where the info came from: Only My Health.

Bad Watermelons

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