Senate summons NAFDAC over use of chemicals to hasten fruit ripening

The Senate on Wednesday summoned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to explain unchecked use of harmful chemicals by fruit vendors to hasten the ripening of fruits in the country.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Senator Anthony Ani during plenary in Abuja.

The motion is titled: “Urgent Need to Investigate and Halt the Continuous Unwholesome Practice of Chemical Ripening of Fruits in Nigeria.”

Ani, in his presentation, lamented that the increasing trend of chemically-induced ripening is a “dangerous deviation from natural ways for fruits to ripen.”

He explained that while fruits which naturally ripped have better sweetness, texture and nutritional content, many vendors now turned to harmful agents to force the process and improve appearance for commercial gains.

“Ethylene and methyl jasmonate may be considered relatively safe,” the lawmaker noted.

He, however, added that, the problem lies with the widespread use of substances like calcium carbide, ethephon and ethylene glyco-chemicals laced with toxic residues including lead and arsenic.

The lawmaker warned that these substances are known to cause severe health problems such as cancer, kidney damage, liver failure, neurological disorders and in extreme cases, death.

The senator also criticised the failure of regulatory agencies, stating that many countries have outlawed such chemicals, while Nigeria lagged behind in implementing effective measures.

The Senate, in its resolution, directed the NAFDAC management to appear before the Committees on Health and Agriculture to explain its current interventions and outline future steps to combat chemical ripening;

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) were directed to investigate the matter and initiate urgent action.

The upper legislative chamber also mandated NAFDAC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to increase public education on the health risks associated with artificially ripened fruits.

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