Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
Claim
Muslim fruit sellers are injecting poison into apples, where they cover the marks with stickers before selling them to Hindus.
Fact
Marks are of damage caused by pests.
A one-minute video, purportedly of a person showing several apples with tiny holes that are apparently being covered with stickers, is going viral across social media platforms with a communally charged narrative. According to the posts, the video shows a new form of “jihad” where poison is injected into these apples, after which the marks are covered with stickers before being sold to Hindus in the market.
The archived version of the post, which has clocked over 1.2 million views so far, can be seen here. We received this video on our Whatsapp tipline (9999499044), too, with users requesting us to fact-check it.
Fact Check
Newschecker saw that several users had pointed out that the stickers are usually used to hide the rotten part of an apple so that it can be sold, while other users said that the tiny holes are common and are caused by pests.
We then got in touch with Lokinder Singh Bisht, the president of Progressive Growers’ Association of Shimla, which is a group of farmers growing apples and other temperate fruits in the Himalayan ecosystem. Bisht dismissed the viral claims, calling them conspiracy theories and that the holes were obvious signs of damage caused by insects.
“These [holes] are definitely caused by stink bugs [a pest species] and are a common occurrence in orchards and farms in Himachal Pradesh. There is also a possibility of the marks being a deficiency of calcium in the fruit. Although not an honest practice, sellers/growers try to mask the damage by covering it with stickers so that they can be sold. Even if someone wanted to inject poison, they would not try to make it obvious, right, with the presence of such clear marks? Also, if someone injected something, it would cause the inside of the fruit to rot, which is not the case in the video. If you cut the apple, you will see that the damage is limited to the surface and that there is no difference in the quality. Also, apples have a natural cavity in its lower end if someone ever wants to inject something.” Photos of apples with pest bites can be seen here, here, and here, similar to the marks seen in the viral video.
We also reached out to experts who confirmed that the marks are signs of pest infestations. “Most probably it is a mark caused by an insect, and a sticker has been used to cover the hole in order to enhance the fruit’s appearance and get a better price,” said Dr Usha Sharma, senior scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Shimla.
Also Read: Viral Video Claiming To Show Diwali Celebrations In Saudi Arabia is At Least 2-Month-Old
Conclusion
Video of apples with marks on them caused by pests goes viral with false communal narrative.
Result: False
Source
Conversation with Lokinder Singh Bisht, president of Progressive Growers’ Association, Shimla
Conversation with Dr Usha Sharma, senior scientist, Krishi Vigyan Kendra
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Authors
Kushel HM is a mechanical engineer-turned-journalist, who loves all things football, tennis and films. He was with the news desk at the Hindustan Times, Mumbai, before joining Newschecker.
Pankaj Menon is a fact-checker based out of Delhi who enjoys ‘digital sleuthing’ and calling out misinformation. He has completed his MA in International Relations from Madras University and has worked with organisations like NDTV, Times Now and Deccan Chronicle online in the past.
