NAFDAC warns South-East residents against using carbide to ripen fruits

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has warned the public that eating fruits that have been ripened with calcium carbide and purchasing drugs from street vendors carry a significant risk of death.

This was said by Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of NAFDAC, in her keynote address on Tuesday at the media sensitization workshop on “Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide” that was held in Awka, the capital of Anambra State.

Adeyeye claimed that the chemicals in calcium carbide were dangerous for unborn babies and young children and would cause headaches, vertigo, mood swings, mental confusion, memory loss, excessive fluid swelling in the brain, sleepiness, seizures, and other symptoms.

NAFDAC organized the program for the Association of Nigerian Health Journalists, South-East Zone, with the goal of educating locals about the risks and dangers associated with such acts.

Dr. Leonard Omokpariola, the Director of Chemical Evaluation and Research at the NAFDAC, who was Adeyeye’s representative at the event, read her speech.

According to her, eating fruits that have been ripened with calcium carbide may increase the risk of developing cancer, heart failure, kidney failure, and liver failure.

“In general, calcium carbide contained impurities like arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus, and others that present a number of serious health risks.

Fruits ripened with calcium carbide have been linked to frequent thirst, mouth and nose irritation, weakness, permanent skin damage, difficulty swallowing, vomiting, and skin ulcers.

“These artificially ripened fruits can be distinguished if you observe that the fruits are all yellow while the stem is dark; this is true particularly for banana and plantain. Additionally, naturally ripened fruits typically have brown or black spots, whereas those that have been artificially ripened tend to have powdery residue and peel off more quickly.

The DG noted that the agency had taken some decisive actions since 2019, including educating the public through various media outlets, enforcing laws through intelligence, and conducting raids in fruit markets that resulted in the seizure and destruction of illegal goods.

The agency, she continued, had commissioned a scientific investigation into the most effective strategy for reducing the health risks associated with the carbide-induced ripening of fruits.

“The artificial ripening of fruits quality would result in the significant loss of characteristics like color, taste, and feel, and such a practice does not give the fruits the natural aroma and flavor,

She continued, “These fruits do not have a uniform color, are less juicy than when ripened naturally, and have a relatively short shelf life.

She went on to say that the acetylene produced by calcium carbide would have an impact on the nervous system, reduce the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain, and further cause prolonged hypoxia.

The participants learned about organic approaches to fruit ripening.