Osinbajo Don Raise Alarm Ontop Dangerous Chemicals Weh Some People Use for Fruits.

Former Nigerian Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, don raise serious concern about how some farmers and fruit sellers dey use chemicals to make fruits ripe quick quick and make dem last longer for market.

Osinbajo talk this for one gardening seminar for Lagos, where e warn say some chemicals wey dem dey use for farming, fruit ripening and preservation fit put consumers for danger if dem no use am properly.

E also share personal experience about im wife, Dolapo Osinbajo. According to am, after she start to drink freshly squeezed orange juice regularly, she begin to experience frequent headaches. The juice later go for laboratory test, and Osinbajo say the result show say the juice no fit for human consumption. But e no release the laboratory report, the exact chemical wey dem find or the level of contamination, so the claim say the juice cause the headaches no be something wey independent evidence don confirm.

Osinbajo also point finger to chemicals like calcium carbide, wey some people dey allegedly use to force fruits like banana, mango, pawpaw and tomato to ripe faster. Research for Ado Ekiti in 2024 find say 10 out of 20 fruit sellers wey dem study report say dem dey use calcium carbide for fruit ripening. Another study among fruit sellers for Uyo also record use of calcium carbide, although natural ripening still remain the main method among the people wey dem survey.

Another research for selected Lagos markets for 2023 also raise concern about chemical preservatives among fruit and vegetable sellers. The study report say some traders use substances including pesticides and other chemicals for preservation. But this no mean say every fruit for Nigerian market get poison inside am, and consumers no suppose panic anytime dem buy fresh fruit.

Experts generally advise say washing fruits well with clean running water before eating fit help remove dirt and some surface residues, but washing no be guarantee say all harmful chemicals don comot. Proper regulation, safe farming practices, regular laboratory testing and strong monitoring for markets still dey very important.

Osinbajo therefore dey call for stronger food safety enforcement and more awareness among farmers, traders and consumers. E say Nigerians need to know wetin dey enter the food wey dem dey put for their table.

Important fact: Fruit wey ripe fast, get fine colour or look fresh no automatically mean say dem use chemical ripen am. Only proper laboratory testing fit confirm the presence and level of particular chemical residues.