The Senate has charged the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to put an end to chemical-induced fruit ripening among fruit sellers nationwide.
The lawmakers also called on other stakeholders in the food and drug control sector to rise to the challenge by imposing penalties on fruit sellers engaging in the practice.
In a motion sponsored by Senator Anthony Ani, senators, at plenary on Wednesday, raised the alarm over the harmful effects of the practice on the health of the consuming public.
They listed harmful chemicals like calcium carbide, which contains toxic properties such as arsenic, lead particles, phosphorus and others.
These impurities, they noted, cause health hazards, such as cancer; heart, liver and kidney failure; neurological disorders; intestinal problems; skin damage; mouth ulcers and many more.
The Senate expressed sadness over the growing trend of chemical-induced fruit ripening among fruit sellers in the country.
The makers also noted that most of the fruit sellers are ignorant of the health hazards associated with the practice, stressing that the use of such chemicals for fruit ripening had been banned in many countries.
Consequently, the Senate urged NAFDAC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate the practice.
It also urged the MDAs to increase the level of awareness by continuous sensitisation and public enlightenment on the hazardous implications of the practice.
The legislative chamber also urged NAFDAC and the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure that imported fruits, especially apples, are not preserved with harmful chemicals.
The Senate also urged NAFDAC, the Customs and other relevant agencies to commence regular visits to fruit markets to check the practice.
