The Federal Government has raised the alarm over the growing use of dangerous chemicals in food sold in Nigerian markets, warning that consumers may be exposed to poisonous substances through everyday food items.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, identified the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits, paracetamol to soften meat and detergents in cassava processing among disturbing food safety practices threatening Nigerians.
He also listed the treatment of beans and grains with unauthorised chemicals and the adulteration of palm oil with prohibited colourants such as Sudan IV.
Udeh raised the concerns on Tuesday in Abuja during the 2026 World Science Day for Peace and Development, warning that unsafe food handling, adulteration and fraudulent processing had become serious national challenges.
He said the practices exposed consumers to harmful chemicals, unhygienic processing and improper food preservation, stressing that food meant to sustain life was increasingly becoming a threat to public health.
The minister warned that the situation was undermining consumer confidence, endangering lives and threatening the country’s food security.
Citing figures attributed to the World Health Organisation, Udeh said about 866 million people globally suffer foodborne illnesses annually, resulting in approximately 1.52 million deaths, including 143,000 children under five.
He added that foodborne diseases impose an estimated $310bn economic burden globally and could cause more than 200 diseases.
In Nigeria, he said health authorities estimate that about 50 million people suffer foodborne illnesses annually, with more than 53,000 deaths recorded from related complications.
To tackle the menace, the minister announced plans to strengthen food safety monitoring, particularly at the local government level, through the deployment of qualified food science and technology professionals.
He said the Federal Government would facilitate the establishment of a professional cadre for food science and technology practitioners in the public service to ensure trained experts handle food inspection, processing and quality control.
Udeh lamented that Nigeria produces about 3,000 food science and technology graduates annually from approximately 70 tertiary institutions, yet their expertise was not being adequately deployed.
He blamed the situation partly on the absence of an established professional cadre in the public service, promising to facilitate engagements towards addressing the gap.
The minister also urged food businesses to employ qualified professionals in production management, quality assurance, supervision, raw material handling and storage of finished products.
He called on regulatory inspectors to verify the professional registration and valid annual practising licences of food science and technology practitioners.
Udeh said the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology, established by an Act of the National Assembly in 2019, was responsible for regulating the profession.
He also commended the council for producing a food safety operational manual for food businesses, market traders and street-food vendors, urging local governments to adopt it.
The minister further called for tougher inspections and enforcement in markets, restaurants, abattoirs and other food outlets.
On safer food processing, he said his ministry was promoting locally developed technologies, including improved fish-smoking kilns, solar dryers, grain storage systems, cassava-processing equipment and food-grade grinding machines.
He identified the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, as one of the agencies developing equipment to improve food processing and preservation.
He also proposed shared community processing facilities to give small-scale food operators access to modern equipment without the burden of purchasing expensive machinery.
Udeh specifically raised concerns over the unhygienic packaging of garri, noting that the popular food product was often displayed in open containers where it was exposed to dust, insects and other contaminants.
He said improved packaging would help protect consumers and preserve food quality without imposing unnecessary costs on small-scale traders.
The minister further disclosed plans to convene a national food systems stakeholders’ meeting within the next one to two months to strengthen coordination among government agencies and operators across the food value chain.
Supporting the proposed reforms, the Registrar of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology, Veronica Ezeh, blamed inadequate grassroots monitoring partly on the failure to establish a proper professional structure for food safety officers.
Ezeh said some food science and technology professionals employed by local governments were not assigned regulatory duties because the relevant scheme of service had not been fully established.
She argued that deploying trained professionals would help identify dangerous food practices before contaminated products reached consumers.
On concerns about food contamination despite packaging, particularly in the case of garri, she maintained that packaging must go hand in hand with professional inspection.
She said properly trained food safety officers would help guarantee that products sold in markets met acceptable standards and restore public confidence.
Ezeh added that stronger grassroots regulation was necessary to reassure Nigerians who had become increasingly wary of buying certain food products because of fears of adulteration and contamination.
Don’t Miss Out! Join our WhatsApp Channel for instant news updates. Click here to join
