Ordered Lime but Got Green Ball... Styrofoam Fake Fruits Flooding Peru

Rising Lime Prices Due to Poor Harvest
Local Residents Complain of Online Fraud
"Cut the Lime, Found Styrofoam Inside"

Recently in South America, Peru, as lime prices have risen, crimes involving the creation of fake fruits using styrofoam and other materials to deceive consumers have been continuing. In response, authorities have launched an investigation.

On the 14th (local time), according to the Peruvian daily newspaper La Republica and others, frequent heavy rains in major lime-producing areas such as San Lorenzo and Chira this year have caused poor crop yields, leading to higher lime prices.

On that day, the retail price of lime per 1kg was 17 soles (6,080 KRW) in the capital Lima and 20 soles (7,160 KRW) in the southern Arequipa. This price is more than double compared to 2 to 3 months ago. In particular, in the Chiclayo and Trujillo regions, lime prices have risen up to four times. The Peruvian National Institute of Statistics reported, "Lime prices have increased by up to 70% in the past three months."

[Image source=Pixabay]

Lime, which has a sweet and sour taste, is one of the essential ingredients in Peruvian cuisine. Especially, lime juice is necessary to make 'Ceviche,' a representative dish of Peru. Ceviche is a seafood dish where fish meat or various seafood are marinated in lemon or lime juice and then eaten with vegetables.

As a result, cases of attempting direct online transactions to purchase lime more cheaply are increasing. However, related fraudulent activities are also ongoing, causing problems. Sellers post lime at low prices on online markets, and once consumers complete payment, they send products unrelated to lime.

In fact, local residents are complaining about fraud related to lime. One resident posted a video on their social networking service (SNS) on the 4th, exposing a fake lime seller. The video showed an object that looked like a lime cut in half, revealing it was filled with white styrofoam powder inside. Another citizen shared a video on SNS of receiving a green plastic ball-like object instead of lime via delivery.

Meanwhile, a restaurant owner shared their experience on SNS, saying, "I bought a large sack of limes, but it was mixed with cheap green apples about the size of a child's fist." Peruvian authorities are currently investigating the related matters.

Meanwhile, there are forecasts that lime prices will continue to rise. Elber Viera, a representative of lime farmers in the San Lorenzo area, said in an interview with La Republica, "Consumer prices for lime will continue to soar until the end of the year," and predicted that prices would normalize around November.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.