There is danger in using chemicals to speed up fruit-repining process, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned.
The NAFDAC Coordinator in Sokoto State, Mr. Abdulsalam Lawal, gave the warning during a public awareness campaign at a fruit market in Sokoto on Monday. He urged traders to abandon the dangerous practice of using calcium carbide to speed up fruit ripening and emphasized its link to severe health conditions such as kidney damage, cancer, and hypertension.
“Using calcium carbide to ripen fruits is hazardous to health, especially as people consume more fruits during Ramadan,” Lawal stressed. He explained that the chemical is meant strictly for industrial use, particularly by welders, and should not come in contact with food.
Lawal noted that fruits like mangoes, bananas, pawpaw, and watermelons are frequently ripened with calcium carbide in Sokoto and other parts of the country. He assured that NAFDAC would intensify surveillance to prevent its misuse and curb the illegal sale to fruit vendors.
Alhaji Bello Danda, Chairman of the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Marketers and Distributors in Sokoto, urged traders to embrace safer and more hygienic methods. He warned that violators would face penalties and demonstrated alternative ways to ripen fruits without endangering consumers.
Danda also highlighted the importance of maintaining food safety in the market, which attracts buyers from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries.
The ongoing awareness campaign, which began on February 18, has seen NAFDAC officials engaging fruit vendors at various locations to educate them on safer ripening methods.
NAN
