By PAUL ORUDE, Bauchi

The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has raised alarm that food vendors in the country were applying poisonous chemicals to preserve their food to the detriment of the health of Nigerians.

Adeyeye, revealed that among the deadly chemicals being used by meat and fish sellers was formalin, a chemical substance used to preserve dead bodies.

She revealed that the agency has discovered that formalin is used by some meat and fish sellers to preserve their products even though formalin is used to preserve corpse.

She made this known during a Public Enlightenment Campaign flagged off by NAFADAC in Bauchi State, on Tuesday, held at Double Four Events Centre, Bauchi.

She warned that the misuse of chemical on food products was capable of leading to many serious diseases and death, warning that anyone arrested would face the full wrath of the law.

The DG, who was represented by Pharmacy Fori Tatami, NAFDAC’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, also revealed that sniper, a poisonous chemical, is also being used to preserve kilishi, by sellers in some parts of the country.

“Sniper is being misused by most Nigerians. If it dries with the kilishi, it can kill the consumer,” he warned.

Adeyeye expressed regret that most food vendors in the country were applying one chemical to food consumed by unsuspecting Nigerians.

She said the agency had uncovered kerosene or fuel tankers conveying groundnut oil to markets.

“Such vegetable oil becomes contaminated and the moment people buy and use it, they will start experience serious illness and diseases,” he said.

He said that apart from discouraging Nigerians against patronising drug hawkers, the agency is also cautioning Nigerians against buying meat that flies are feeling aware from.

“Such meats are possibly laced with dangerous chemicals that chases flies away so Nigerians must be wary,’ he stated.

He said that Nigerians should also be wary of red palm oil as traders add a dangerous chemical call azo dye to make it reddish and appealing.

He said the public enlightenment was to make Nigerians to be aware of the development and give information of such practices to NAFDAC in order to arrest and prosecute suspects.

“We should not allow people to put chemicals into the products that we consume. We need to be careful and enlighten our people."

In his response, the Emir of Bauchi, Dr Rilwanu Suleiman Adamu , called on every Nigerian to be responsible as no religion encourage traders to carry out activities that can lead to diseases and death.

Adamu, who was represented by Alhaji Abdullahi Baba, the Sarakin Bauchi, promised to work in partnership with NAFDAC to ensure that abusers of drugs and chemicals were stopped and brought to book.

In her remark, state director of NAFDAC, Mrs Josphine Daylin , disclosed that the agency’s national public enlightenment campaign in the state would be extended to markets, shopping malls and other public places for maximum impact.

She said the development was to prevent the abuse of drug and cegnical substances capable of endangering many lives and hence should be treated with all seriousness. (Daily Sun)

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