The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians regarding the hazardous practice of using dangerous chemicals to preserve food items in view of the health risks.
The agency recalled that the sale of small volume dichlorvos (100 ml or less), sold as Sniper, had been banned since 2019 while the sale of the large volume (one litre) was limited to certified agrochemicals outlets, underscoring the toxicity of dichlorvos to human health, cautioning that its use can have fatal consequences.
Responding to a viral video showing individuals using dangerous chemicals to preserve food items like beans, stockfish, and crayfish, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, urged traders and merchants to desist from using unauthorized chemicals on food meant for human consumption.
According to her, the misuse of dichlorvos poses significant risks to human health, manifesting in both short-term and long-term consequences.
Specifically, the Director-General was quoted in a statement issued by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Mr. Sayo Akintola, as listing the tong-term exposure to the chemical can result in severe health implications, including developmental abnormalities in offspring, memory loss, reduced fertility, and potential carcinogenic effects and that the adverse effects highlighted the importance of adhering to safety guidelines to mitigate the risks associated with dichlorvos exposure.
The agency’s Director of Veterinary Medicine and Applied Products (VMAP), Dr. Rametu Momodu, reiterated that using certain chemicals, especially pesticides, to protect grains and prevent beans from having weevils contravened an approved practice.
She explained that there were approved pesticides for use as fumigants, which should be used according to the manufacturer’s specifications on the product label, stressing that these products should not be applied directly to food due to their inherent dangers to human health.
Momodu further elaborated that consuming food contaminated with dichlorvos can cause dizziness, vomiting, difficulty breathing, tremors, and convulsions, and in some cases, can lead to coma and death. She warned that once used, pesticide residues remain on or in the food, posing significant health risks.
While pointing out that washing the food does not mitigate the risk, as the harmful substance would have already soaked into it, the medical expert emphasised that the agency cannot recommend washing as a solution, as it gives a false sense of security.
Instead, she urged grain merchants, market vendors, and farmers to adhere strictly to manufacturer guidelines and refrain from directly applying dichlorvos to beans and other foodstuffs, adding that the chemical should be used as intended, either as a field crop treatment or a fumigant, to ensure food safety.
She also advised consumers to avoid buying from vendors known to use such practices and to report them to the nearest NAFDAC office for appropriate sanctions.
The Director General further spoke on alternative methods for preserving food, mentioning the use of bio-pesticides as a safer option compared to dichlorvos, noting that food remaining unspoiled for an extended period might indicate pesticide contamination rather than freshness, unless stored in the refrigerator.
In addition to the banning of the 100 ml size bottle as stated above, the Director-General disclosed that NAFDAC had implemented several initiatives such as stakeholders’ sensitization meetings on restricting the direct application of dichlorvos on grains and foodstuffs and thorough laboratory testing to ensure pesticide residues do not exceed maximum limits for both in-country consumption and for exports. Routine monitoring of stakeholders is also conducted to ensure compliance.
Adeyeye highlighted continued NAFDAC’s commitment to global best practices, including the phase-out of certain pesticides that have been banned in other countries due to proven toxicity.
This is even as she acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers due to bans on various chemicals and emphasized the importance of transitioning to safer alternatives.
On the misconceptions about banned chemicals being dumped in Nigeria, Adeyeye clarified that comprehensive lists had been made available by the agency to the media with a view to enabling them to enlighten the public to dispel such notions.
