By Fasilat Lawal
National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC has called on journalists to sensitize people on the dangers of ripening fruits with calcium carbide and buying drugs from unregistered sources.
NAFDAC Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye stated this at a sensitization workshop for journalists in the Southwest zone held at House of Chiefs Hall State Secretarial, Agodi Ibadan, Oyo State.
Professor Adeyeye, who was represented by Director Chemical and Evaluation Research, Dr Leonard Omokapariola, said ripening of fruits such as bananas, plantain, guava, orange, grape, or any fruits with calcium carbides is dangerous to health as it could cause cancer heart failure kidney disease and liver failure.
”Fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide may be ripe on the skin, the but inside remains unripe. whereas the stem is dark”
Professor Adeyeye also pointed out that drug hawking has been a serious challenge to the healthcare delivery system in the country, noting that most of the drugs sold by illiterate and semi-literate drug hawkers are counterfeit, substandard, or expired.
She said drugs were sensitive life-saving commodities that should not be sold on the streets, motor parks, or open markets.
She added that stiff penalties and prosecution awaited drug hawkers arrested by NAFDAC.
The NAFDAC boss called on the Media to play a frontline role in efforts to sensitize Nigerians on the dangers of consuming fruits ripened with chemicals and activities of unlicensed drug hawkers.
Director Public Affairs of the agency, Dr. Abubakar Jimoh, who called on relevant stakeholders to collaborate with NAFDAC to achieve its mandate of safeguarding the health of Nigerians, enjoined people not to patronize items that could endanger their lives.
Similarly, A Director, of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Edward Evans in her presentation entitled “Food Fraud “, explained that food fraud occurs when agrochemicals are applied to food consumption for economic gains.
Earlier, in an address of welcome, NAFDAC Director Southwest Zone, Mrs. Roseline Ajayi, represented by the Oyo State Coordinator, Mr. Matthew Adeoye, said the agency was working assiduously to reduce the threat of adulterated and substandard drugs and sharp practices in food production process posed to the country.
Some journalists present at the event expressed willingness to partner NAFDAC in the drive to ensure drug and food safety.
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