Sellers of fruits in Kano State under the umbrella of the State Branch of the Nigerian Fruit Sellers Association admitted to using carbide, a chemical compound that is industrially used in the production of calcium cyanamide for fertilizer and also in welding.
The group’s admission followed report that fruits sellers across the state are using chemicals to artificially ripen unripe fruits within a day.
“We are only using carbide in the ripening of fruits, and before we start using it we had to follow certain process which include the involvement of the Environmental and Occupational Health Unit, Kano State Ministry of Health,” the Chairman of the association, Mallam Muhammad Umar, stated this on Tuesday in Kano.
However, the use of calcium carbide (CaC2) which contains arsenic and phosphorus, agents that have the ability to alter human cells into cancerous cells to ripen fruits is banned in most countries.
