Senate Seeks Stronger Public Awareness Against Chemical Fruit Ripening Hazards
The Senate has urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, and other relevant agencies to intensify public awareness on the hazardous effects of chemically ripened fruits in the country.
The resolution followed the presentation of a report by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ipalibo Banigo of Rivers State, whose committee was mandated to investigate the dangers associated with forced fruit ripening using harmful chemicals.
Senator Banigo noted that the committee discovered the widespread use of dangerous substances, particularly raw calcium carbide, to hasten fruit ripening, posing serious health risks to consumers.
She said the committee also found fraudulent food handling practices such as cooking meat with paracetamol, preserving grains with sniper (Dichlorvos); washing of fruits and vegetables with detergents to enhance appearance.
The lawmaker explained that the practice in itself undermines food safety, threatens lives, and must be halted through effective legislation, public education, and regulatory enforcement.
In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 14,000 cases of cholera resulting in about 378 deaths and 119 deaths from food related lassa fever infections.
She further said these practices are linked to severe public health threats such as cancer, kidney and liver diseases and foodborne illnesses including cholera and lassa fever.
The senate also adopted the committee’s recommendation that through its relevant Committees should amend extant laws, to prescribe stiffer punishments for persons found guilty of ripening fruits through the application of harmful chemicals, as against natural ripening of fruits in Nigeria.
Adding that existing regulatory agencies mandated to undertake food safety and controls should ensure enforcement through legal and regulatory means.
Cov/ Bashir M
