Commission Decries Ripening Of Fruits With Toxic Chemicals

The executive vice chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Olatunji Bello, has said access to safe, unadulterated and nutritious food is a key pillar of public health, economic development and national security.

The commission has a statutory responsibility to protect and promote the interests and welfare of consumers as well as ensure fair competition.

Bello spoke in Jos, the Plateau State capital, at a one-day sensitisation campaign on Food Quality Standards, Safety Regulation and Fair Business Practices/

He said ensuring the quality and safety of what they eat is not a responsibility that rests solely with regulators or manufacturers, but a shared commitment.

Represented by the commission’s director of Quality Assurance and Development, Dr Nkechi Mbah, he decried the alarming trends of forceful fruit ripening using harmful chemicals such as calcium carbide, which contains trace amounts of arsenic and phosphorus, which are highly toxic to humans.

Bello lamented the adulteration of food products with dangerous additives and preservative chemicals such as bromate, Sudan red colourant, sniper, and formalin, improper handling, and contamination across the food value chain, from farm to table, such as poor storage conditions and an unhygienic environment, poor waste disposal, and exposure of foodstuffs to flies, insects, and rodents, among others.

He said these practices not only endanger millions of Nigerians, but also erode consumer trust and sabotage the integrity of our food systems.

According to him, this sensitisation campaign was part of the broader strategy to educate Nigerians on identifying adulterated or contaminated food, the dangers of consuming chemically ripened fruits, and the avenues available for lodging complaints and seeking redress.

Bello asked farmers, food processors, vendors, and business owners, who re critical to the nation’s food security and health, to abstain from using harmful substances in food processing, observe hygiene and safety protocols at every stage of their operations, and refrain from deceptive or unfair business practices.