By Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
The Senate yesterday summoned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to explain the increasing use of harmful chemicals by fruit sellers to induce artificial ripening of fruits across the country.
The Senate resolution followed a motion sponsored by Senator Anthony Ani, titled “Urgent need to investigate and halt the continuous unwholesome practice of chemical ripening of fruits in Nigeria.”
While leading the debate on his motion, Ani said fruit ripening is a natural physiological process that enhances sweetness, taste, and nutrition.
He lamented, “What we are seeing today is a dangerous shift towards using harmful chemicals to make fruits look more attractive and ripen faster.”
He explained that while some fruit sellers use relatively safe substances like ethylene and methyl jasmonate, many rely on cheaper, hazardous alternatives such as calcium carbide, ethylene glycol, and ethephon.
These substances, he noted, contain impurities including arsenic and lead.
“Experts and regulatory agencies have warned that these chemicals can cause serious health problems such as cancer, kidney and liver failure, neurological disorders, and even death,” Ani said.
The Senator expressed sadness that the practice is on the rise in Nigeria.
He said, “Many fruit sellers are unaware of the health hazards. They are driven by profit, and consumers unknowingly buy poison simply because the fruits look good on the outside.”
He added that some chemicals have been banned in many countries, but continue to be used indiscriminately in Nigeria.
He said, “There is an urgent need to protect public health by ensuring that our fruit markets are not turned into toxic zones. People should not suffer health complications from simply trying to eat healthy.”
The Senate adopted the motion and called on NAFDAC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate the practice of chemical ripening of fruits in Nigeria.
Lawmakers also urged NAFDAC, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and relevant ministries to intensify public sensitisation and education on the hazardous effects of consuming artificially ripened fruits.
The Senate further urged the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service and the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure that imported fruits, especially apples, are not preserved with harmful substances before reaching Nigerian markets.
In addition, the lawmakers asked NAFDAC and FCCPC to regularly visit fruit markets across the country to inspect and curb the use of dangerous chemicals in fruit ripening.
To strengthen regulatory enforcement, the Senate directed its Committee on Legal Matters to amend relevant laws and recommend stiffer penalties for perpetrators of such acts.
Finally, the Senate mandated its Committees on Health and Agriculture to summon NAFDAC to brief the Senate on what it has done to stop the practice and what measures it intends to implement to ensure it does not continue.
