“Toxic Melons on the Market”: Algerian Consumer Protection Group Warns of Carcinogenic Watermelons

✍️ BY: Dr. Hana Saada

“Himayatak” Sounds the Alarm on Early-Ripened Red Watermelons Grown with Excessive Chemicals and Urges Consumers to Stay Vigilant

Algiers, Algeria | May 27th, 2025 — In a stark and urgent public warning, the Algerian Consumer Protection Organization “Himayatak” has raised alarm over the presence of potentially carcinogenic watermelons being sold in markets across the country. The organization is urging citizens to exercise utmost caution when purchasing red watermelons, particularly those that appear unusually ripe at the start of the season.

In a strongly worded awareness post, “Himayatak” emphasized that certain unscrupulous vendors are flooding the market with watermelons that may look fresh and appetizing on the outside but are in fact dangerously tainted. These fruits, according to the organization, are being artificially ripened using excessive amounts of chemical fertilizers and synthetic growth accelerators—many of which are known or suspected to have carcinogenic effects.

The organization explained that one of the most telling signs of such tampering is the absence of mature black seeds inside the fruit. Instead, consumers may notice pale or deformed seeds—an indication that the watermelon did not mature through natural processes, but rather through the aggressive use of chemical agents designed to force early growth.

“What we are seeing today is not traditional farming; it is a toxic trade-off where health is sacrificed for greed,” the organization stated. It further condemned what it described as “pseudo-farmers” who, in their rush for profit, are endangering public health by selling chemically-altered fruits without any regard for long-term consequences.

Himayatak did not mince words in its assessment of the risks, stressing that these chemically enhanced fruits pose a real and present danger, particularly to children, pregnant women, and individuals with compromised immune systems. It called for stricter controls and immediate government intervention to curb such unethical agricultural practices and protect Algerian consumers from ingesting potentially cancer-inducing substances.

The group also encouraged the public to support ethical and certified local farmers who follow natural cultivation methods. “Our health should never be the price of someone else’s profit,” the post concluded.

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