“Frats Fruits”: the Senate summons Nafdac Dg

On Wednesday the Senate convened the general manager of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (Nafdac), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, to provide explanations on the growing use of harmful chemicals by fruit sellers to induce artificial ripening of fruits across the country.

Evocation of Nafdac Dg by the Senate, followed a motion sponsored in this sense by Senator Ani Anthony Okorle (APC Ebonyi South).

The senator Okieor in the motorcycle entitled: “urgent need to investigate and stop the continuous non -healthy practice of the chemical maturation of the fruits in Nigeria”, said that the ripening of fruits is a natural physiological process that improves sweetness, taste, nutrition and duration of conservation.

According to him, “what we are seeing today is a dangerous change towards the use of harmful chemicals in an attempt to make the fruits more attractive and ripe faster”.

He explained that while some fruit sellers use relatively safe substances such as Ethylene and Metil Jasmonate, many others rely on cheaper and more dangerous alternatives such as calcium carbide, ethylene glycol and Ethephone.

These substances observed, contain impurities including arsenic and lead.

“Experts and regulatory agencies have warned that these chemicals can cause serious health problems such as cancer, renal and liver failure, neurological and even death disorders,” he said.

The senator expressed sadness that the practice is increasing in Nigeria.

According to him, “many of the fruit sellers are not aware of the health risks. They are guided by profit and consumers are unconsciously purchasing poison simply because the fruits seem good outside”.

He added that some of these chemicals have been prohibited in many countries, but continue to be used indiscriminately in Nigeria.

“There is an urgent need to protect public health, ensuring that our fruit markets are not transformed into toxic areas. People should not undergo health complications simply trying to eat healthy,” he said.

The Senate, adopting the motion, invited Nafdac, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Safety and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to study the practice of chemical fruit maturation of the fruits in Nigeria.

Legislators also urged Nafdac, the national orientation agency (Noa) and pertinent ministries to intensify awareness and public education on the dangerous effects of the consumption of artificially accrued fruits.

The Senate also urged the Nigerian agricultural quarantine service and the Nigerian customs service to ensure that imported fruits, in particular apples, are not kept with harmful substances before reaching the Nigerian markets.

In addition, the legislators asked Nafdac and FCCPC to make regular visits in the fruit markets across the country to inspect and curb the use of dangerous chemicals in the ripening of fruit.

To strengthen the regulatory application, the Senate has ordered its committee on legal issues to start the process of modifying the relevant laws to recommend more rigid penalties for the authors of these documents.

Finally, the Senate commissioned his health and agriculture committees to convene Nafdac to inform the Senate about what he has done so far to stop the practice and what measures he intends to implement to ensure that he does not continue.