By: Monday Danladi, Bauchi
The Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has stressed the need to allow fruits, grains and other farm products to ripen naturally in order to ensure that they are not harmful to the body.
The Commission also decried using chemicals to ripen such fruits and farm products stressing that it is harmful and injutious to the health of anyone who consumes them and can even lead to death.
The assertion was made by the Ag Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Dr. Adamu Ahmed Abdullahi during a One day sensitization programme on forceful ripening of fruits, adulterated
palm oil, contaminated meat and grains held in Bauchi on Tuesday.
Represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics of the Commission, Dr. Nkechi Mba, the Ag EVC stressed that the Commission is committed to ensuring that the consumer got value for his money on any products he purchases.
He however stressed that the Commission will ensure that no product is made hazardous to the health of the consumers saying that, “It is part of our mandate to ensure that consumers are protected against products that are injurious to their health conditions.”
Adamu Ahmed stared that, “Consumer health is our concern, the Act that established FCCPC mandates us to do so. When we consume unsafe, poor quality and substandard products, there are health implications because these adultetrated products are very hazardous to the human body.”
He added that forceful ripened fruits using calcium carbide are very harmful to the body saying that,” When we don’t allow fruits to ripe before harvesting them and we use chemicals to artificially ripen them, it can damage the stomach and the intestine, cause stomach ache and diarrhea, it can affect the entire body system leading to dizziness or even convulsions.”
He added that,”When artifical colours are added to palm oil or flavour, it lowers the quality of that food. We will make more profit from selling such food but people will die from what we have sold to them. People can have allergic reactions in their bodies, other parts of the body can be damaged.”
“When food, fruits are contaminated, they are harmful to the body, unwanted substances contaminate the air, water and other things, they are hazardous to our body. Recently, cholera is killing people, typhoid too, all these are caused by contaminated food and fruits,” he added
Earlier in a welcome address, the Director, Consumer and Business Education Department,
Yahaya Garba Kudan stated that,” Today, we gather here to address sone of the pressing issues in our food industry, forceful ripening of fruits,
adulterated palm oll, contaminated meat, and grains.”
According to him, “These are Issues that affect not only our health and well-being but also the integrlty of our food supply chain. As we are all aware, food safety is one of your rights as a consumer and it is paramount to our collective health.”
He poured out that, “It is disturbing to note the increasing incidences of harmful practices in food productlon and processing. These practices not only pose significant health risks but also undermine consumer trust in the
food Industry.”
Yahaya Garba Kudan added that, “The FCCPC Is committed to protecting consumers and ensuring that they have access to safe, high-quality food. This program is a testament to our dedication to educating and empowering consumers, farmers, vendors, and all stakeholders involved in the food supply chain.”
He also stated that,”Throughout today’s sessions, we will hear from experts who will share valuable insights on how to identify and prevent these harnful practices. We will learn about the dangers of forceful ripening, the risks of consuming adulterated palm oil, the hazards of contaminated meat, and how to ensure the quality and safety of grains.”
“Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to make informned decisions and advocate for
safer food practices in our communities.
To encourage you all to participate actively, ask questions, and share your experiences.Together, we can create a safer food environment for everyone,”he added.
