SCOURGE OF FOOD CONTAMINATION

There is need for public enlightenment on food preservation

The recent death in Sokoto State of 24 members of the same family after consuming poisoned food should alert Nigerians to this growing danger. The incident, according to Ali Inname, Commissioner for Health, occurred in Danzanke village, Isa Local Government Area of the state when a fertiliser popularly known as ‘Gishirin Lalle’ in Hausa was used as a food seasoning in place of salt. “Regrettably, the entire family who ate the meal lost their lives except two female members who merely tasted the food and are currently responding to treatment,” he said.

While we commiserate with the family of the deceased persons, authorities in Nigeria must pay attention to food poisoning. Available reports indicate that at least 200,000 persons die annually of food poison in Nigeria. Indeed, hardly any day passes without reports of some families dying after eating food that may have been contaminated through improper processing, preservation, and service. Since the causes of most of these deaths were never accurately determined, it is becoming increasingly clear that some of them could have been avoidable. For instance, many food products sold in the open market across the country are reportedly preserved with dangerous chemicals. When you combine that with low level of literacy, the danger is high.

Two years ago, there was panic over beans, a popular staple food. The worry came as result of the public health implications of misapplied chemicals on food consumers. A video had gone viral on how some retailers were using Sniper, a powerful insecticide, to preserve beans before bagging it for sale. The practice is reportedly commonplace, often used to eliminate or protect beans from weevils’ infection. It has also been established that other food items like banana, plantain, corn, sorghum, apples, and vegetables are improperly preserved or hurriedly ripened with dangerous chemicals.

Sniper, a dichlorovinyl, available across the counter, is a dangerous chemical used for killing bugs and insects. Indeed, the Director General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, (NAQS) Dr Vincent Isegbe said sniper is injurious to health, if applied as a pesticide. “Sniper in beans is a material equivalent of death in pot,” he said. “So, it may not be an exaggeration to say that sniper in beans is a weapon of mass destruction.” Calcium Carbide, another dangerous substance used by welders, is also often used by many retailers in the ripening of banana and plantain and other produce for quick money.

There is therefore the urgent need to find an enduring solution to ensure that the food we put on the table meet some minimum standards. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and other regulatory agencies must ensure proper public awareness on the right use of chemicals. The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) must be well positioned to live up to its responsibilities. The Agriculture Ministry itself could do a lot better by ensuring that useful and relevant information – from planting to harvesting and preservation – is passed on to farmers and retailers many of whom are unaware of the risks.

As we have reiterated several times on this page, given the alarming rate at which people, including sometimes a whole family, die after meals, there is need for public enlightenment on the danger associated with some of the food items we consume. It is also important that people be alerted on the safe keeping of household items that could be injurious to their health and the safety of their families. Addressing this challenge will require continuous sensitisation, especially in the rural areas.