Nigerians have once again received a strong warning from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regarding the use of dangerous chemicals like snipers and other similar substances to preserve food.
A statement signed by NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye and given to reporters in Abuja on Sunday contains the warning.
Adeyeye issued the alert in response to a widely shared film that showed people preserving food products including beans, stockfish, and crayfish using harmful chemicals.
She stated that the organization has repeatedly underlined the risks connected to dichlorvos (Sniper), a substance that dealers frequently use to keep food from spoiling, claiming that it might result in cancer, liver issues, and other issues.
She stated that while the sale of high volume dichlorvos (one liter) was left to certified agrochemicals stores, the sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less) was outlawed in 2019.
NAFDAC, according to Adeyeye, highlighted the dangers of dichlorvos to human health while also warning that using it might be lethal.
Because of this, she called on traders and merchants to refrain from applying illegal chemicals to food intended for human consumption, noting that improper use of dichlorvos presented serious health hazards.
She stated that there is a chance that employing chemicals to preserve food would cause problems with both short-term and long-term exposure.
“Severe health consequences, such as impaired fertility, memory loss, developmental defects in children, and even carcinogenic effects, might arise from prolonged exposure.
She stated that while the sale of high volume dichlorvos (one liter) was left to certified agrochemicals stores, the sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less) was outlawed in 2019.
NAFDAC, according to Adeyeye, highlighted the dangers of dichlorvos to human health while also warning that using it might be lethal.
Because of this, she called on traders and merchants to refrain from applying illegal chemicals to food intended for human consumption, noting that improper use of dichlorvos presented serious health hazards.
She stated that there is a chance that employing chemicals to preserve food would cause problems with both short-term and long-term exposure.
“Severe health consequences, such as impaired fertility, memory loss, developmental defects in children, and even carcinogenic effects, might arise from prolonged exposure.
According to Adeyeye, the EPA has started extensive laboratory testing to make sure pesticide residues don’t go beyond regulatory limits for exports and domestic use.
She highlighted ongoing global best practices, such as the phase-out of several pesticides that have been outlawed in other nations owing to demonstrated toxicity, and stated that NAFDAC has started routine stakeholder monitoring to assure compliance.
She underlined the significance of switching to safer alternatives while acknowledging the difficulties farmers face as a result of numerous chemical prohibitions.
The D-G also addressed the falsehoods that prohibited substances are being dumped in Nigeria, emphasizing that the media has been given thorough lists to refute these claims.
In the announcement, Dr. Rametu Momodu, the Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), was also mentioned. He reiterated that it is not authorized to use certain chemicals, particularly pesticides, to safeguard grains and keep beans from having weevils.
Adeyeye clarified that fumigants might be made using permitted pesticides and that these fumigants should be applied in accordance with the product label’s manufacturer’s instructions.
She elaborated that eating food contaminated with dichlorvos might result in nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, trembling, and convulsions, and emphasized that these products shouldn’t be applied directly to food owing to their inherent health risks.
She said that once a pesticide is applied on food, it stays on the food or leaves residue, which poses serious health hazards, and that in certain situations, such might result in coma and death.
According to her, cleaning such food would not lessen the risk because the dangerous material would have seeped into it already.
She said that because washing provided a false sense of security, the organization was unable to suggest it as a remedy.
In order to preserve food safety, Momodu asked farmers, market sellers, and grain merchants to closely follow manufacturer specifications and avoid directly applying dichlorvos to beans and other foods. Instead, she said, the chemical should be used as a fumigant or as a field crop treatment.
Additionally, she recommended customers to report known vendors who engage in these types of abuses to the nearest NAFDAC office so that appropriate punishments might be applied.
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