BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has cautioned Nigerians against the consumption of fruits ripened with calcium carbide, adding that it causes cancer, heart, kidney and liver failure.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at the official flag-off of the agency’s media sensitisation workshop on the 'Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Carbide'.
She listed other problems associated with the consumption of fruits ripened with carbide as frequent thirst, irritation in the mouth and nose, weakness, permanent skin damage, difficulty in swallowing, vomiting and skin ulcer.
Also, diarrhoea, burning or tingling sensation in abdomen and chest difficulty in swallowing, irritation in eyes and skin, sore throat, cough, shortness of breath, and numbness.
Adeyeye noted that calcium carbide generally contains impurities such as arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus and others that pose several health hazards, stating that higher exposure to carbide leads to undesired fluid build-up in the lungs.
To end the ripening of fruits with carbide, Adeyeye noted that the agency has deployed a multifaceted approach and commissioned a scientific study on the best approach to mitigate the health hazards posed by the menace.
She added that the agency has commissioned a scientific study on the best approach to mitigating the health hazards posed by the ripening of fruits with carbides.
“Fruits provide the body with micronutrients that improve immunity and prevent diseases. Fruit ripening is a unique aspect of plant development, which makes the fruit edible, softer, sweeter, more palatable, nutritious and attractive.
“However, the consumption of fruits such as mango, banana, plantain, guava, orange, grape, etc, or any other fruits ripened with calcium carbide is dangerous to health.
“Fruits artificially ripened with calcium carbide may be ripe on the skin but the inside remains unripe. You can identify such artificially ripened fruits if you notice that the fruits are all yellow whereas the stem is dark. This is true, especially with bananas and plantains", she added.
The DG informed that naturally ripened fruits usually have brown or black spots, while those artificially ripened have traces of powdery substances and peel off quickly.
She disclosed that the artificial ripening of fruit quality led to considerable loss of properties such as colour, taste and feel, saying that such practice mutilated the natural aroma and flavour of the fruits.
“These fruits do not possess uniform colour and are less juicy than when ripened naturally, and have a comparatively shorter shelf life. Calcium carbide when sprayed with water reacts chemically to produce acetylene, which acts like ethylene and ripens fruits by a similar process.
“Acetylene produced by calcium carbide affects the neurological system and reduces oxygen supply to the brain and further induces prolonged hypoxia", she said.
Adeyeye lamented that the impurities are hazardous to pregnant women and children and may lead to headache, dizziness, mood disturbances, mental confusion, memory loss and swelling in the brain caused by excessive fluids, sleepiness and seizure.
She informed that calcium carbide is alkaline in nature, erodes the mucosal tissue in the abdominal region and disrupts intestinal functions.
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