The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has intensified efforts to curtail the infiltration of contaminated products, particularly food products, into the Nigerian market.
Speaking at a one-day sensitization program for traders in Abuja on Thursday, the Acting Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, warned that the love for money is overshadowing the health implications that accompany the intake of contaminated food.
According to him, “we love cutting corners and we love doing wrong things as long as we know we can get away with it”.
Abdullahi cautioned traders against practices such as the forceful ripening of fruits, the use of chemicals for grain preservation, or adding substances in food meant for consumption.
“We have to be very careful so that when people buy goods, they get value for their money. We have to ensure that when people buy goods, they are not buying what will harm them”.
The Executive Vice Chairman also appealed to traders to be considerate in tagging prices, especially for food products.
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“In the market, we have seen how market associations are exploiting Nigerians. For the first time, we see yam cut into pieces before being sold,” he lamented.
He said, though the prices of things have gone up, traders have increased prices of commodities by 10 times.
While presenting a paper, Femi Stephens from the Federal Ministry of Health explained the health implications of food contamination.
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He said traders add coloring dye or paraffin to palm oil, warning that these substances are very harmful for consumption.
According to him, health risks associated with food adulteration include diarrhea, nausea, brain damage, cancer, abdominal pain, among others.
“We are killing ourselves; it is not the government that is adding substances like calcium carbide to our food to make a profit”.
The sensitization program is one of the many efforts by the Commission to improve food quality, safety, and standards in the country.
