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Consumers raise concerns as sellers use chemicals to ripen fruits

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2 years ago

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Consumers raise concerns as sellers use chemicals to ripen fruits

There has been a growing concern among consumers of fruits and vegetables in Benue State following the discovery that some of the sellers use chemicals to ripen them to make quick sales and maximize profit without minding the health implications of the dangerous act.

It is suspected that the Shylock fruit dealers use chemicals such as calcium carbide on unripe fruits such as mangoes, bananas, pawpaw and apples to ripen them and give them out as ready for human consumption.

By so doing, unsuspecting consumers buy the fruits with delight and go home only to discover that they are not tasty despite appearing ripe and attractive on the surface. And, as this dangerous practice came to the fore recently, many fruit consumers have started developing cold feet about buying fruits and vegetables, which are produced in large quantities in Benue State.

While many consumers express worry over the rising danger of fruit ripening with chemicals, Arewa Voice gathered that health experts are also cautioning against the use of chemicals to ripen fruits, warning that it is dangerous to health as it could lead to cancer.

A medical expert, Dr. Jude Uwar, warned that those who resort to using chemicals to ripen fruits to make brisk businesses are indirectly killing their fellow beings. “This practice is injurious to the health of the direct consumers, and it is responsible for the high rate of cancer in society,” Uwar cautioned.

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A fruits trader in the popular Railway Fruit Market, clearly Makurdi’s biggest market, Mr. Agber Iorwuese, acknowledged that there had been reports of people resorting to artificial means to ripen fruits but that it had not been officially tabled before the market leaders. He said: “There have been a series of allegations of traders applying chemicals to ripen fruit like mangoes and bananas, but the truth is that such information is yet to be verified. In fact, in this railway market we have no record of such. But there have been reports that some people used to ripen the fruit from the source in the villages before bringing it to the market.

“We learned that sometimes the mangoes are plucked and kept for about two to three days before they are moved to the market. So one cannot say emphatically what happens there. But here in the market, it does not happen. But most times when mangoes are brought to the market, they are already ripe, and the unripe ones are not many. So one cannot tell the process it goes through in the villages; but here, we do not tolerate such. Last year we heard a report that Benue mangoes were being rejected and sent back from two Abuja markets over the issue, but we have not noticed it here in our market.

“Only two weeks ago, our chairlady came out and sounded the warning to all traders that such act would not be tolerated in the market. And I am sure everyone took the advice. I am sure she came out to sound the warning following fears being expressed in other quarters over the development, though we have not noticed it at the railway fruit market. And you know that a chemical like calcium carbide has odour and if you drop it here, anyone nearby will perceive the odour. So it is difficult to apply it here in the market. It might happen elsewhere, but not here. We also heard that they use it to ripen plantains and bananas too. We heard of a dealer who used the chemical to ripen his banana, and in no time it became soft and unnaturally ripe. And any banana you treat in that manner gets ripe but goes bad in less than four hours. So I advise my fellow traders to avoid the temptation of applying chemicals to food items because it is dangerous and it is not recommended by authorities. We must put an end to such practices because of the implications for human life.”

Reacting to the ugly development, the Benue State Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Saaku Aondongu, insisted that both farmers and sellers of fruits in the state have been warned against the use of chemicals to ripen fruits for consumption. He said the practice was inhuman and dangerous and should never be used by anyone in the state.

The AFAN chairman said: “We have been dissuading farmers from using anything that is not natural to ripen any fruit, and we are not joking about it. That is why we are also now emphasizing the use of organic fertilizers to check the use of dangerous chemicals on our farms.”

Consumers raise concerns as sellers use chemicals to ripen fruits

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Those spraying perfume in armpit, private parts risk cancer – Shehu Sani

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23 hours ago

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April 13, 2025

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Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

Those spraying perfume in armpit, private parts risk cancer – Shehu Sani

Former senator and human rights activist, Shehu Sani, has issued a cautionary note to the public against spraying perfume directly on sensitive areas of the body such as the armpits and private parts.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the former lawmaker from Kaduna Central recounted the tragic story of a young man named Salisu, who reportedly developed cancer after regularly applying perfume to those areas.

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“Don’t spray perfume in your armpit or private parts. If you are in the habit of doing that, learn from this,” Sani wrote. “A young man called Salisu used to do so, and suddenly it triggered a strange form of cancer in those areas. The spots got rotten and his health deteriorated. He is now dead.”

While noting that he had no scientific explanation for the incident, Sani said he was simply sharing the story as a word of caution.
“Just a piece of advice,” he added.

 

Those spraying perfume in armpit, private parts risk cancer – Shehu Sani

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Nigeria confirms 660 lassa fever cases, 122 die

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3 days ago

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April 11, 2025

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Nigeria confirms 660 lassa fever cases, 122 die

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified Ondo, Bauchi and Edo states as the epicentres of the Lassa fever outbreak in the country.

Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, during a media briefing, yesterday, in Abuja, said that those states accounted for over 70 per cent of confirmed lassa fever cases reported so far in 2025.

Idris said that the three states contributed 71 per cent of the 660 confirmed Lassa fever cases recorded between January and the end of March 2025, with Ondo accounting for 30 per cent, Bauchi, 25 per cent, and Edo, 16 per cent.

The director general said that the NCDC had intensified a nationwide multi-sectoral response through its activated incident management system at the national level to coordinate the public health emergency across affected states.

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He said, “As the cases surge in these epicentre states, our response is focused on early detection, case management, risk communication, and community engagement. The transmission remains active in multiple local councils, with 28 states and 125 councils affected this year.”

Idris also said that 122 deaths had so far been recorded, resulting in a case fatality rate of 18.5 per cent—higher than the 17.5 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.

He said that to combat the spread, the NCDC had deployed national rapid response teams to hotspot areas, trained healthcare workers on infection prevention and control, and scaled up community sensitisation.

The DG, therefore, stressed the importance of early presentation to health facilities to reduce fatalities.

Idris, who disclosed ongoing collaborations with key partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), to support surveillance, clinical care, and public awareness, said that the agency was also supporting research efforts to improve outbreak preparedness and response.

Nigeria confirms 660 lassa fever cases, 122 die

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Poisonous fluorides in toothpaste: Pharmacists counter televangelist’s claims

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1 week ago

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April 5, 2025

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Poisonous fluorides in toothpaste: Pharmacists counter televangelist’s claims

Pharmacists have refuted recent claims made by a popular pastor that fluorides in food, toothpaste, and pharmaceutical products are poisonous and carcinogenic.

While acknowledging the pastor’s spiritual influence, the pharmacists provided crucial scientific clarity, asserting that fluoride, when used in approved quantities by regulatory bodies, is safe and beneficial for public health.

The pharmacists, on the platform of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, ACPN, made the clarifications, weekend.

Their intervention comes in response to trending videos where the religious leader vehemently condemned the pharmaceutical industry over the inclusion of fluorides in various consumer products.

Scientific facts

In a statement by the National Chairman, Ambrose Ezeh, and Secretary, Omokhafe Ashore, the pharmacists said: “We at ACPN will not attempt to tackle the pastor’s anointing in God’s word.

“But (we) will clarify with some scientific insight and background that the pastor’s exposition on fluorides was not totally in alignment with scientific facts.

“The ‘Use of Fluorides in Pharmaceutical Preparations and Foods’ declared: ‘Fluorides used in approved quantities by the relevant and appropriate food and drug regulatory agencies are safe’.

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“In strictly public health interest, the ACPN wishes to posit as follows: Fluoride used in approved quantities by the relevant and appropriate Food and Drug regulatory agencies are safe.

“While some researchers have indeed linked Fluoride with some cancers, oftentimes such incidences have been proven to be in instances where excessive amounts beyond the approved limits were used.”

They clarified that, usually, fluoride use not more than 5mg/kg is safe.

Highlighting the well-established benefits of fluoride in oral hygiene, the ACPN stated that “fluorides enhance tooth enamel and prevent decay when added to toothpaste in approved quantities. This makes it both safe and effective in toothpaste.”

Toothpaste misuse

The association further explained that adverse effects like dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, and thyroid complications only arise from prolonged excessive misuse of toothpaste.

Addressing concerns about fluoride in dairy and non-dairy milk, the ACPN clarified that while cow’s milk is typically fluoride-free, some plant-based milk might contain it as a preservative or natural component.

However, they reiterated that even in such non-dairy milk as vegan milk, it is only the excessive addition of fluoride that poses any propensity to danger.

The ACPN underscored the fundamental principle of pharmacology, stating that “No drug or pharmaceutical product is safe except when taken in the right quantities or measures over a timeline within the given drug regimen.

“This is why we often say all drugs are potential poisons depending on their use and management.”

Drawing attention to the natural occurrence of fluorides, the ACPN pointed out that they are naturally occurring molecules found in water, soil, salmon fish, and even some fruits and are even present in minute quantities in breast milk.

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The ACPN further affirmed from a holistic scientific perspective that fluorides are generally perceived as safe for human consumption.

On the recommended daily intake of fluoride, the ACPN informed the consuming public that the daily recommended intake of Fluoride in adults is 3.7 – 4.5mg/daily, while 0.7 – 1.3mg/daily is recommended in children.

This difference in dosage, they explained, is why pharmaceutical companies formulate age-specific toothpaste.

Recognising the narrow safety window of fluoride, the ACPN urged consumers to be mindful of their usage, particularly concerning children.

“How intentional are consumers about the quantities of fluoride products used especially in children and paediatrics? Do we ensure toothpastes are not swallowed during use, especially in children?

“Since it is established that fluorides can be taken in trace amounts in form natural and other sources, how do we ensure use and consumption do not exceed daily allowance?

“Pharmacists and other scientists will continue to research the desirability of fluoride use in oral care products and if this yields alternative drug molecules with similar benefits without the harmful effects of fluoride overdose in cost-effective settings, then a whole range of reforms may have been informed.

“In the world of science as of now, there is no credible evidence implicating fluoride-containing toothpaste or milk as causing cancers.

“Some reputable cancer associations have openly debunked claims that there is any link between fluoride and cancer after extensive research.”

The ACPN appealed to persons who are not health or scientific experts to desist from advocating or positing on key subject matters, particularly those that impact public health because of the potential deleterious effects and consequences such bring to bear on consumers of health in Nigeria.

Poisonous fluorides in toothpaste: Pharmacists counter televangelist’s claims

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