NAFDAC warns against hazardous food preservation practices

By Innocent Raphael

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned against the use of hazardous chemicals to preserve food items.

The agency specifically banned the use of dichlorvos, a chemical frequently employed by traders to prevent food spoilage.

In a statement released on Sunday, the agency expressed concerns over a recent viral video showing individuals using dangerous chemicals to preserve items such as beans, stockfish, and crayfish.

“The sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less), sold as Sniper® has been banned since 2019 while the sale of the large volume (one litre) is limited to certified agrochemical outlets. NAFDAC underscores the toxicity of dichlorvos to human health, cautioning that its use can have fatal consequences,” the statement read.

NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, also urged traders and merchants to stop using unauthorized chemicals on food meant for human consumption. She highlighted the severe health risks associated with dichlorvos, including developmental abnormalities, memory loss, reduced fertility, and potential carcinogenic effects.

The statement also quoted, Dr. Rametu Momodu, Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), stating that using pesticides to protect grains and beans is not approved. She explained that only approved pesticides should be used as fumigants, strictly according to the manufacturer’s specifications.

Momodu warned that consuming food contaminated with dichlorvos can lead to dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, convulsions, coma, and even death.

She stressed that washing contaminated food does not eliminate the risk, as the harmful substance would have already been absorbed.

“Grain merchants, market vendors, and farmers must adhere strictly to manufacturer guidelines and refrain from directly applying dichlorvos to foodstuffs. It should only be used as intended, either as a field crop treatment or a fumigant, to ensure food safety,” she emphasized.

Momodu also advised consumers to avoid purchasing food from vendors known to use such practices and to report them to the nearest NAFDAC office for appropriate action.

Prof. Adeyeye further recommended safer alternatives for food preservation, such as bio-pesticides, and emphasized that prolonged food freshness might indicate pesticide contamination unless refrigerated.

To reinforce these regulations, NAFDAC has implemented several initiatives, including stakeholder sensitization meetings on restricting dichlorvos use on food and thorough laboratory testing to ensure pesticide residues do not exceed permissible limits. Routine monitoring of stakeholders is also conducted to ensure compliance.

While asserting that NAFDAC remains committed to global best practices, including phasing out certain toxic pesticides Adeyeye acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers due to bans on various chemicals and stressed the importance of transitioning to safer alternatives.

She further dispelled misconceptions about banned chemicals being dumped in Nigeria, providing comprehensive lists to the media to clarify the situation.