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5 min
29/04/2026
The rare yet shocking case of suspected watermelon food poisoning in Mumbai, India, has recently led many people to wonder whether their summer staple is out of reach. If you’re concerned too, then this is for you. Watermelon, with its juicy texture and hydrating properties, feels essential for beating the hot, humid days. By following the FSSAI watermelon test, recognising visual red flags of chemical ripening, and using simple tips to check for a sweet, ripe melon, you can enjoy the fruit all season long. Dive in to know more.
A suspected food poisoning case in Mumbai on April 26, 2026, resulted in the deaths of four family members after consuming watermelon, highlighting severe, albeit rare, risks with this summer staple. The solution is not abstaining from eating the fruit, but rather understanding what to look for when buying melons.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex regulator for food safety in India, has listed specific tests you can perform to detect adulteration in watermelons. Additionally, there are tried and tested visual cues you can follow when buying watermelons – they can improve chances of landing a sweet, juicy fruit. But first, understand what causes watermelon poisoning.
While watermelon is a safe summer staple, it can become contaminated with pathogens like Salmonella or E. coli or be contaminated by artificial chemical additives if improperly handled or stored, particularly if pre-cut.
The two primary risks that can lead to watermelon poisoning are as follows:
Contamination Risks: Improper storage, high temperatures, and poor handling of cut fruit can allow bacteria to grow on the sugary, moist flesh. Watermelon becomes high-risk when cut and left at room temperature, especially above 30°C, where bacteria multiply rapidly.
Chemical Hazards: Unscrupulous, unethical practices might involve injecting harmful substances (like a mixture of red dye and sugar solution) to enhance colour or weight. Such injections make unripe or pale fruit appear more vibrant, red, and ripe. The main types of artificial colours or dyes that may be injected into the fruit are:
Erythrosine B (Red-B): The most common synthetic dye used to turn the flesh an unnatural bright red.
Sudan Red: Another synthetic colouring agent flagged by experts.
Contaminants and symptoms of watermelon poisoning:
Common contaminants include Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli, which can cause severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration. Severe food poisoning can occur quickly, sometimes within hours. However, chemical adulteration is not common in regulated markets.
Important: It’s crucial to understand that food poisoning, alone, does not lead to a rapid or fatal deterioration in health. As per experts, rapid, fatal outcomes (like in the watermelon poisoning 2026 case) are mostly a result of severe contamination or chemical additives rather than simple spoilage.
For all these contamination risks, there are safety guidelines you can follow, as well as simple tests you can undertake at home to check for adulteration.
As per the FSSAI, there are simple tests that you can perform to check if the melon is artificially coloured.
The Cotton/Tissue Test: Cut the watermelon to expose the red flesh. Use a clean cotton ball or white tissue paper to gently wipe or press it onto the succulent, red part of the fruit. Here is what the results indicate:
Safe/Unadulterated: The cotton shows no colour change or only a very light pinkish tinge.
Adulterated: The cotton turns a deep, artificial-looking red or magenta, indicating dye transfer.
The Water Test: Drop a small piece of cut watermelon into a glass of water. If the water turns red quickly, it indicates the presence of artificial colourants.
Physical Inspection: Avoid watermelons that are excessively bright or neon red inside, as natural watermelon is duller red or pink. An overly polished or shiny look can also indicate artificial waxing or chemical treatments, as natural watermelons have a dull, matte, or dusty finish.
Check for Injections: Look for tiny holes or cracks on the rind, which indicate injection with synthetic colours or artificial ripening agents.
Seeds: If the seeds are unnaturally soft and red or pink instead of black/dark brown, the colour has likely penetrated the fruit.
Unnatural Uniformity: The watermelon is uniformly coloured or lacks the typical "field spot" (the creamy yellow spot where it rested on the ground). Then it’s a cause for concern. The absence of a cream-yellow or orange field spot indicates it was picked too early and forced to ripen.
Textural Uniformity: Natural watermelons are uniform or consistent in texture – equally firm or soft. If a melon is soft in one place and firm in another, it may have been chemically treated.
There are a few visual cues you can follow when picking watermelons to ensure what you get home is juicy, sweet, and ripe for consumption:
The Field Spot: This is the most reliable indicator. It’s a patch on the bottom where the watermelon rested. A creamy yellow, dark yellow, or even orange-yellow patch indicates the watermelon ripened properly. A white, light green, or nonexistent spot indicates it was picked too early and will not be sweet.
Webbing or Sugar Spots: As the name indicates, these are brownish, rough-to-touch web-like scars on the rind. Extensive webbing indicates that the melon was pollinated multiple times by bees, resulting in a sweeter fruit.
Rind Finish: Ripe melons have a dull, matte finish. Skip the ones that are shiny or glossy—they may be underripe. While some fruits are naturally waxy, watermelons are not typically wax-coated. Thus, an overly glossy surface may indicate immaturity rather than treatment.
Non-Visual Cues:
Apart from the visual cues, there is one important non-visual cue that can help determine the right watermelon. It’s the tap test. Pick a watermelon, and tap on it – if it produces a deep, hollow sound, then it’s ripe. Unripe watermelons release a soft thud when tapped.
A few health tips can minimise the risk of contamination and spoilage:
Avoid Pre-Cut Fruit: Buy whole watermelons and slice them at home. Avoid pre-cut fruit available on carts or cafes because you can’t be sure of when the food was cut, or in what conditions it was stored.
Wash Thoroughly: Wash the outer rind thoroughly with water before slicing to prevent transferring surface bacteria into the pulp.
Avoid Cross Contamination: Cross-contamination can occur if the same knife or surface is used for raw foods and fruit without cleaning. Always use a clean, dry knife to cut watermelon.
Refrigerate Immediately: Never leave cut watermelon out in the heat, especially with temperatures rising rapidly. Excessive heat can lead to quick spoilage. Store in a refrigerator right away. Additionally, cut watermelon should ideally be consumed within 24 hours when refrigerated.
Check for Spoilage: Avoid watermelons that appear slimy, mushy, or have a fermented/sour smell. Also, avoid watermelons that have no smell or a chemical/acidic smell; it's a red flag.
Cases of watermelon food poisoning are rare and don’t mean you need to give up on your favourite fruit. But you do need to be careful of contamination and spoilage, check for adulteration, and follow simple cues when buying watermelons. This way, watermelons can continue to remain your not-so-secret source of sweet hydration.
Yes, but it is rare. Food poisoning is usually caused by bacterial contamination (like Salmonella or E. coli), especially in pre-cut or improperly stored watermelon.
