NAFDAC Prohibits Use Of Carbide For Fruit Ripening

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC has issued out a circular warning to Nigerians of the dangers of ripening fruits using the chemical, calcium carbide.

TopNaija reports that on Monday, August 4, 2023, the food and drug authority issued the warning during the flag-off of the NAFDAC Media Sensitisation Workshop on Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide held in Lafia, Nasarawa State.

The NAFDAC’S Directo General, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, while addressing the crowd, stated that there has been a cry for help by well-meaning Nigerians for strict regulations on the dangerous tide of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide.

“In addition, several national dailies and non-governmental organisations have raised concerns on the looming danger and health implication of these two nefarious activities by certain unpatriotic and unscrupulous citizens in our country,” 

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, represented by the agency’s director of Chemical Evaluation and Research, emphasized that the sensitization workshop’s flag-off was a fulfillment of her promise to strengthen NAFDAC’s collaboration with the Association of Health Journalists in Nigeria.

The workshop aims to mobilize, educate, sensitize, and conscientize Nigerian journalists to play a crucial role in eradicating the menace of drug hawking and ripening of fruits with calcium carbide in Nigeria.

The NAFDAC DG stressed that drug hawking poses a significant challenge to Nigeria’s healthcare delivery system, which is why the agency is resolute in its determination to eradicate the illicit trade completely.

“Many drug hawkers are knowingly or unknowingly merchants of death who expose essential and life-saving medicines to the vagaries of inclement weather which degrade the active ingredients of the medicine and turn them to poisons, thus endangering human lives.

“Most of the drugs sold by the illiterate and semi-literate drug hawkers are counterfeit, substandard or expired, and therefore do not meet the quality, safety and efficacy requirement of regulated medicines,” the NAFDAC boss added