The alleged widespread use of potentially hazardous chemicals to ripen and preserve fruits and vegetables in Nigeria has alarmed former vise president Yemi Osinbajo.
He cautioned that food items that seem natural and fresh might not be safe to eat.
The revelation was made by law professor Osinbajo, who related an incident involving his wife Dolapo, whose freshly squeezed orange juice was allegedly determined to be “not fit for human consumption” after she started experiencing strange and persistent headaches.
He gave a speech on August 28 at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos with the theme “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It.”
On Wednesday, the former vise president posted a video of the occasion to his YouTube channel.
Osinbajo claims that his wife started having unexplained headaches after switching from carbonated drinks to freshly squeezed orange juice as a healthier option.
He claimed that she sent a sample of the juice to a lab for analysis once all other potential causes had been ruled out.
“The results came back. It showed that the freshly squeezed orange juice was not fit for human consumption,” Osinbajo said.
According to him, the event brought to light the possible risks that consumers could encounter from chemicals added to food items at various points in the supply chain.
Osinbajo’s warning coincides with worries about food safety and the need for closer examination of the methods used in the nation’s production, distribution, and preservation of fruits and vegetables.
According to Osinbajo, some traders allegedly use chemicals to speed up ripening or increase the shelf life of produce, while some farmers apply potentially hazardous pesticides to fruits and vegetables.
He specifically named calcium carbide as one of the chemicals purportedly used to accelerate the ripening and color change of fruits like tomatoes, bananas, mangoes, and pawpaws.
According to the former vise president, data from surveys and studies indicated that the practice was widespread.
According to a 2024 study conducted in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, with 20 fruit vendors, half of the participants acknowledged using calcium carbide.
“The fact that fruit looks fresh doesn’t mean that it is safe. And the fact that a drink is natural doesn’t mean that something dangerous has not been added to it along the way, especially along the journey from the farm to the table,” he said.
“Government regulation needs to be enforced, but in a country this size, we have to be active ourselves,” he said, urging individuals to report suspicious practices and push for change.
The government must intensify efforts to educate and sensitize the public about the dangers of these harmful chemicals. Food items, especially vegetables and fruits, should be kept separate and handled naturally, as nature intended. Mixing different foods or using toxic chemicals puts people’s lives at significant risk. It is high time we put an end to these practices and prioritize the health and safety of our citizens.
