Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mojisola Adeyeye has warned Nigerians against using chemicals to preserve food.
The health agency outlined the negative impact associated with dichlorvos (sniper), a chemical mostly used by traders to safeguard food from spoilage.
The statement read;
“The misuse of dichlorvos poses significant risks to human health, manifesting in both short-term and long-term consequences.
“The long-term exposure can result in severe health implications, including developmental abnormalities in offspring, memory loss, reduced fertility, and potential carcinogenic effects.”
The statement also quoted the Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), Rametu Momodu, as saying that the use of certain chemicals for food preservation is illegal.
Momodu was quoted saying;
“Using certain chemicals, especially pesticides, to protect grains and prevent beans from having weevils is not an approved practice. There are approved pesticides for use as fumigants, which should be used according to the manufacturer’s specifications on the product label.”
She stated that these products should not be applied directly to food due to their inherent dangers to human health. Momodu further stated that eating food contaminated with snipers could cause dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, and convulsions, and in some cases, can lead to coma and death.
She said that once used, the pesticide residues remain on or in the food, causing significant health implications. She added that washing the food does not stop the chemical effects, noting that the harmful substance would have already simmered into it.
She stressed that the agency cannot recommend washing as a solution, saying doing so gives a false sense of security.