Senate uncovers rampant use of harmful chemicals in food processing
The Nigerian Senate has uncovered widespread use of toxic chemicals in the processing and preservation of food items across the country, warning that such practices pose severe health risks to millions of citizens.
Presenting a report on Wednesday, Ipalibo Banigo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, said the discovery followed an investigation by the joint committees on health, agricultural production services, and rural development into the chemical ripening of fruits. The probe was launched after a motion sponsored by Senator Anthony Ani from Ebonyi South on May 28.
Banigo revealed that the committee’s findings exposed “a rise in the fraudulent and dangerous forced ripening of fruits with raw calcium carbide,” alongside other harmful practices such as cooking meat with paracetamol, preserving grains with sniper (dichlorvos), and washing fruits and vegetables with detergents.
She added that some food vendors also soak cassava in detergent solutions, add banned Sudan IV dye to palm oil and red pepper, and burn tyres to remove animal hides for consumption. The report further noted that morpholine—a waxing agent used on fruits and vegetables—is banned in the European Union due to its toxicity.
According to Banigo, these practices have been linked to cancer, kidney and liver diseases, as well as foodborne illnesses such as cholera and Lassa fever. “The committee’s findings underscore an urgent public health crisis requiring decisive regulatory action,” she said.
The Senate committee recommended that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology intensify public sensitisation campaigns on the dangers of chemical food ripening and contamination.
It also urged the Senate to amend existing laws to impose stiffer penalties on individuals and organisations found guilty of using harmful substances in food production and preservation, while calling for stricter enforcement of food safety regulations by relevant agencies.
