The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned members of the public on consumption of fruits ripened by calcium carbide in order to avoid cancer.
The agency also urged members of the public to desist from purchasing drugs from street hawkers to avoid risking their health.
It gave the warnings during a workshop organised by the agency for journalists who report health issues in the South South geo-political zone yesterday in Calabar.
It said the consumption of fruits ripened by carbide and purchase of drugs from street hawkers could lead to cancer and several other ailments which can cause death.
The director, chemical evaluation and research in the agency, Mr. Leonard Omokpariola, stated that it was better for an individual not to consume any fruit than eat one ripened with carbide.
Omokpariola who spoke on the theme; “Dangers of Artificially Ripening Fruits with Calcium Carbides” enumerated the dangers associated with the use of carbide to include early dead as a result of being infected with cancer.
“The use of this substance is really very big that is why we have come out to do this sensitisation, before now, it was being used for just a few fruits but right now it is getting very big.
“Maybe as a result of economic issues in the country, a lot of people do not allow fruits to ripen before they harvest them and because of the transport infrastructure and the challenge of moving things from rural areas to urban areas this problem is really increasing.
“Calcium carbide breaks down all the essential nutrients, micro nutrients, minerals and vitamins inside the food.
“In addition, carbide itself has two poisonous substances that are arcenic and phorsporous which cause cancer and liver damage, that is why we came out to stop the use of these substances under any circumstances.
“Those who use these things are causing murder and creating all sorts of problems for our people because when they take these things they become sick and some get cancer which is very expensive to treat,” he said.
