Cases of Food and Water Adulteration in Nigeria
Gbenga, a student, and three other students experienced stomach pain after consuming food from a vendor on the school premises in the Kubwa area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They collapsed and were hospitalized. Doctors traced the issue to contaminated palm oil used for cooking.
Since then, Gbenga has stopped buying food from the vendor, unsure if others have done the same. Similarly, Maureen Onche purchased stew from a roadside vendor, left it briefly at the office, and later prepared white rice with the stew. After eating a few spoonfuls, she developed abdominal pain.
Initially, she thought the mild stomach pains were not serious and continued eating, but the pain worsened until it became unbearable. She tried to induce vomiting, but only water came up. Panicked, she went to a nearby hospital, where she was told that the stew had been poisoned.
“I could have died,” Onche said. “I was kept under observation and advised to seek further medical care. Later, I found out that the oil used by the vendor was adulterated.”
Grace Owu shared her experience with adulterated water during her three-week stay at an NYSC camp in a state in the North East. She noticed frequent bouts of vomiting, stomach pain, and general weakness. Initially, she thought it was due to the stress of camp activities, but the illness became severe.
After visiting the camp clinic, she was diagnosed with an adverse reaction to the water she had been drinking. The doctor explained that the sachet water sold and shared around the camp was not clean and might have been adulterated. He advised her to switch to bottled water and prescribed medication to manage the stomach upset.
Since then, Owu has been cautious about the water she consumes, ensuring it is clean and properly sealed.
Isa Mukaila, a bachelor, bought beans and cooked them. After consumption, he experienced stomach ache. At the hospital, doctors discovered that the food was contaminated. Enoch Julius, a fresh graduate, bought non-alcoholic wine from a supermarket to celebrate his graduation from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State. Unknown to him, the wine was fake, and he was later diagnosed with liver disease.
Ezra Onyema, a journalist, revealed that two of his children had health issues, and after several checks, it was discovered that the type of water they consumed was the cause. Doctors advised them to stick to a particular bottled water, which has been safe for them since then.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), food adulteration involves the intentional inclusion of forbidden substances to substitute healthy ingredients or falsely enhance the value of fresh products. This practice introduces harmful substances or strips food of vital nutrients, endangering health and nutrition.
In February, the Kano State Government threatened legal action against traders involved in food adulteration, resulting in arrests at the Dawanau International Grains Market. The Commissioner for Commerce, Investment and Industry, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, emphasized that such practices threaten the market’s image and the state’s reputation in global commodity trade.
Earlier this month, the federal government warned those involved in food adulteration and forced ripening of fruits in markets to desist from such acts or face legal consequences. During a sensitisation programme in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, the executive vice chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Mr Olatunji Bello, stressed that operators placing profit over quality will face legal repercussions.
He urged consumers to be informed and demand standard products, emphasizing the importance of proper food handling, labelling, and ethical conduct in the marketplace.
Common Cases of Food Adulteration
- Milk Dilution: Milk is often diluted with water, reducing its nutritional content and causing health problems, especially in children.
- Potash Use: Potash is used to soften beans quickly, but its unregulated use can lead to high blood pressure and kidney problems.
- Sniper Pesticide: A highly toxic pesticide sprayed directly on stockfish, dried fish, and grains poses serious health risks.
- Palm Oil Dye: Palm oil is often mixed with magenta, a deep red dye, to improve its coloration.
- Vegetable Oil Adulterants: Industrial oil, recycled oil, or cheaper oils like soybean or mineral oil are blended into high-value oils like olive or mustard oil.
- Formalin in Meat: Formalin, a chemical used for preserving corpses, is sometimes used to preserve meat, posing cancer risks.
- Ice Cream Contamination: Harmful substances like detergent, phosphoric acid, urea, and starch are used to achieve desired textures.
- Sachet Water Fraud: Some producers use contaminated water fetched from paint buckets and fill used plastic bottles, using dirty rubber funnels as filters.
Reasons Behind Food Adulteration
Traders openly admitted to adulterating their products. A butcher, Tijjani, admitted to using formalin to keep beef looking fresh, explaining that without it, meat would spoil before evening. Madam Ada, a vegetable trader, confessed to using pesticides to maintain a fresh appearance of vegetables.
A fish seller admitted to using dye to brighten fish, while a food vendor in Ado-Ekiti, Labake Adetunji, started adding potash while cooking beans, unaware of its side effects. A palm oil dealer in Bida, Niger State, mixed oil with coloring agents, citing the high cost of pure palm oil.
Mama Sadiya, a beans cake seller, reused frying oil to save costs, while a woman in an egusi-peeling business used detergent to make the seeds look cleaner and whiter.
Health Risks and Expert Warnings
Researchers at the University of Lagos raised concerns over the use of harmful chemicals in fufu processing, warning that the practice poses severe health dangers. Laboratory analysis confirmed that chemically processed fufu contains toxic compounds linked to gastrointestinal problems, liver injury, and cancer.
Doctors and nutritionists have also highlighted the risks of food adulteration. Dr Folarin Ogundele described it as one of the biggest hidden dangers facing Nigerians, stressing that it leads to cumulative damage to the body, stressing the liver and kidneys.
Mr George Chukwuma noted that Nigerians often underestimate the impact of adulterated foods, leading to fatigue, frequent illnesses, and a weakened immune system. Mrs Hassana Kabiru, a child nutrition specialist, warned that children are most at risk, suffering from stunted growth, reduced cognitive development, and behavioral issues.
Dr Michael Olayiwola, a consultant physician, stated that hospitals see patients with liver disease, kidney failure, gastrointestinal cancers, and metabolic disorders linked to poor food quality. Jeremiah Atah, a medical doctor, called adulterated food “poison” and emphasized the need for stricter enforcement and regulation.
Musa Ibrahim, a dietitian, stressed that ensuring food safety requires collective responsibility, from improved regulatory oversight to better handling practices by producers, vendors, and consumers.
