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The Federal Government has again, cautioned farmers and food vendors against using harmful substances to process and preserve foods.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Olatunji Bello, gave the warning at a “One-Day Sensitisation Programme on Forced Palm Oil, Ripening of Fruits, Contaminated Meat and Grains” on Wednesday in Enugu.
Sensitising stakeholders including farmers, food processors, vendors, and business owners, Bello said they were critical to the nation’s food security and health.
The executive vice chairman urged them to abstain from the use of harmful substances in food processing.
He equally urged them to observe hygiene and safety protocols at every stage of their operations, label and package food correctly, in line with national and international standards.
Bello also charged them to respect consumers rights and refrain from deceptive or unfair business practices.
He noted that the issues of food quality standards, safety, and fair business practices were more pressing than ever as the country continued to witness alarming trends like forceful ripening of fruits using harmful chemicals such as calcium carbide.
The FCCPC boss said that these ingredients contained some amount of arsenic and phosphorus, both of which were highly toxic to humans.
