By Henry Umoru, ABUJA
THE Senate has said it would, through its relevant committees, amend extant laws to prescribe stiffer punishments for persons found guilty of ripening fruits through the application of harmful chemicals in the country.
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It also resolved that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security; Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services, NAQS; the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC; and Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology, NiCFOST, should increase the level of awareness by continuous sensitisation and massive public enlightenment on the hazardous implications of chemical ripening of fruits in Nigeria.
It said existing regulatory agencies mandated to undertake food safety and controls should ensure enforcement through legal and regulatory means.
Resolutions of the Senate yesterday, were sequel to the presentation and consideration of the Senate Joint Committees on Health( Secondary and Territory) and Agricultural Services Productive and Rural Developments, chaired by Senator Ipalibo Banigo, PDP, Rivers West.
In the presentation, the committee said it found “a rise in dangerous and fraudulent forced ripening of fruits with raw calcium carbide.
“Also found other dangerous and fraudulent food handling practices, such as cooking meat with paracetamol, preserving grains with sniper (Dichlorvos); washing of fruits and vegetables with detergents to enhance appearance; soaking of cassava in detergent or hypo solution; adding banned Sudan IV dyes in palm oil and red pepper, use of burning tyres to remove animal furs from their skins (pomo), among others
“That Morpholine used as waxing agents for fruits and vegetables is on the European Union’s ban list of chemicals.
“That these practices are linked to severe public health threats, such as cancer, kidney and liver diseases and food-borne illnesses, including cholera and lassa fever.’’
On background information, the committee said: “It is on record that the ripening of fruits with the use of chemicals causes hazardous risks to human health and subsequent health risks and deaths.
’The issue is a public health crisis and not just a consumer rights issue. The practice in itself undermines food safety, threatens lives and must be halted through effective legislation, public education and regulatory enforcement.
“In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 14,000 cases of cholera resulting in about 378 deaths and 119 deaths from food related lassa fever infections.
‘’According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, Nigeria suffers over one million cases of food-borne illnesses annually, resulting in economic losses exceeding $3.6billion.
‘’It is, therefore, apt to address this menace and nip it in the bud, especially since existing legislations such as the Criminal Code Section 243-245 criminalises food, meat and water adulteration.”
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