Health scare: Adulterated food items wreaking havoc in Nigeria

…Quest for quick gain driving unethical, harmful practices

…Fruit sellers force items to ripe unnaturally

…Harmful items added to food items to enhance quantity

…Regulatory oversight minimal as agencies seem overwhelmed

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies have an enormous task to sanitise the food market in Nigeria.

Nigerians are simply consuming death in the name of food on a daily basis, as growers and retailers are adulterating every food item in an effort to make extra gain.

Overtime, people use carbide to false fruits to ripe, some add a lot of things to palm oil and other food items to increase volume; while some preserve food items with harmful chemicals for economic gains. The list is endless.

The end product is that people are daily having unexplained health challenges, many of which are traceable to food they consumed.

There is a popular quote among Nigerians that says “we are what we eat.” Now, the question is, who will save Nigerians?

“What we eat today shapes our health tomorrow,” said Iyabo Christianah Oladipo, professor of Food and Industrial Microbiology, Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

According to her, protecting the food value-chain from unsafe chemicals is not optional; but an essential duty for stakeholders.

Over the years, the contemporary food supply chain has witnessed an increasing trend of unauthorised chemical applications in food processing and preservation, particularly in developing regions.

Similarly, research has also shown that food supply is increasingly associated with diet-related diseases, toxicity, cancer, and other health harms, partly attributable to a loophole in federal law that allows the food industry to self-regulate and determine which substances to classify as “generally recognised as safe” (GRAS).

This phenomenon extends globally, with informal food markets frequently employing unapproved additives to enhance product appearance and extend shelf life.

In markets across Nigeria and many parts of the developing world, food is increasingly being altered not by nature or proper processing, but by chemicals added to improve appearance, speed up sales, or increase profit.

Read also: Adulterated fertiliser threatens Nigeria’s food security 

These practices are often hidden from consumers and justified as preservation, yet many of the substances used are unsafe, unapproved, or wrongly applied.

The result is a growing threat to public health and confidence in our food system. “Education is key to ending harmful practices that prioritise profit over health,” Oladipo said.

She added that food safety is everyone’s responsibility. According to her, regulators must enforce standards, while traders must abandon unsafe shortcuts, and consumers must stay informed and cautious.

Femi Oke, president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos Chapter, said many traders cut corners in a bid to make more money, believing such practices will increase their profits.

However, these actions come at a grave cost to public health. According to Oke, protecting lives must take precedence over profit.

“We are working to sensitise traders on the dangers and long-term consequences of using harmful chemicals, as these substances are unsafe for human consumption,” Oke said.

Food colouring generally serves to improve the visual and aesthetic appeal of food products, and sometimes as a form of identity without having anything to do with preservation.

Preservatives are another group of food additives which serve the primary purpose of improving the shelf-life of food products, usually by preventing oxidation and microbial growth.

Elijah Adegoke Adebayo, a professor of Industrial Microbiology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, said the use of alum in improving the physical and functional properties of cassava, and cassava starch has been studied with positive results, and also in some commercial applications.

However, this is done in a controlled environment and various analyses on the quantity of alum used, the time of addition, and other preparation procedures are carried out to ensure safety and prevent toxicity.

Traditional addition of alum (and other chemicals) in cassava preparation without appropriate toxicity analysis could pose severe risks and dangers to consumers.

The addition of azo dyes (one of the most common food colouring agents) to palm oil has also been associated with ROS production, posing a severe risk to consumers.

“Natural approaches to food preservation remain the best techniques: Freezing, drying, fermentation, pasteurisation, and salting,” Adebayo said.

According to him, these approaches help to prevent/limit microbial growth and oxidation without less toxicity risks.

He added that fermentation serves to preserve food while also improving the flavour, and nutritional profile of the food product.

Effects of unapproved chemicals in food

Food is meant to nourish the body, but when chemicals not approved for food use are introduced, it can become a source of harm.

Similarly, unapproved additives may contain toxic metals, industrial residues, or compounds that accumulate in the body over time.

“Continuous exposure, even in small amounts, can lead to organ damage, hormonal disruption, weakened immunity, and increased risk of chronic illnesses,” Oladipo said.

Chemical adulteration in food item is often driven by appearance in informal food markets.

While bright colours, unnatural whiteness, or uniform ripening give buyers a false sense of freshness and quality, even when the food is old, diluted, or poorly processed.

Why misuse of additives is a food safety concern

According to food exports, not all additives are dangerous. However, safety depends on proper approval, correct dosage, and appropriate use.

When chemicals meant for textiles, farming, or industrial processes are added to food, safety limits are ignored.

“There is no quality control, no monitoring, and no assurance that the food is safe for long term consumption,” Oladipo said.

According to her, using chemicals to disguise spoilage or poor processing also undermines the food value chain. “Consumers are deceived, honest traders are disadvantaged, and public trust in local foods declines,” she added.

Read also: The economics of adulterated palm oil in Nigeria 

The dangers of unnatural ripening

Naturally ripened fruits develop flavour, aroma, and nutrients through biological processes.

When fruits are forced to ripen using chemicals, they may look ripe on the outside but remain immature inside. “Such fruits often spoil faster and lack essential nutrients,” says Oladipo.

However, Adebayo said forcing fruits to ripe unnaturally can serve to negate the advantages of consuming fruits.

“Fruits which naturally would act as antioxidants in regulating oxidation in various cells rather cause an increase in ROS production.”

According to him, the ingestion of such products also exposes the consumer to various toxins accumulated as a result of the artificial ripening process.

However, Oladipo added that repeated consumption of chemically ripened fruits has been associated with digestive discomfort, kidney stress, and other health complaints. “Vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and the elderly are at higher risk,” she said.

Additives, colouring, and the myth of preservation

There is a common belief that chemicals used to colour food also help preserve it. “This is largely false,” said Oladipo.

According to her, colouring agents do not prevent microbial growth, toxin formation, or spoilage. “They only improve appearance and hide defects.”

For instance, adding dye to palm oil does not improve its stability or nutritional value. Same way adding alum to cassava flour does not prevent fermentation or contamination.

“These practices only mask underlying quality problems and create a false sense of safety,” Oladipo said.

While some of these additives might not be harmful, using them for unapproved purposes raises concern on the safety nature of our food value-chain.

“The use of additives is strongly regulated in food products, requiring concentration limits, clear disclosure, and adequate toxicity and long-term safety testing before use,” Adebayo said.

According to him, the safety analysis of an additive in a particle food product does not render it safe for use in all food products and food materials.

Safer ways to preserve food while staying close to nature

Proper food preservation focuses on controlling moisture, temperature, and microorganisms, not on altering colour or texture artificially.

According to Oladipo, traditional methods such as fermentation, drying, smoking, and proper cooking remain effective when done correctly.

She added that fermentation of cassava reduces natural toxins and improves safety. On the other hand, drying grains properly reduces mould growth. While smoking fish with clean methods limits spoilage.

“Modern science also supports safer techniques such as controlled heat treatment, natural preservatives, and improved storage conditions. Preservation should protect food, not disguise its decline,” she said.

Regulatory oversight

NAFDAC, mandated to regulate and control the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution and use of food and drugs, faces a daunting challenge.

While the agency has repeatedly warned against food adulteration and the use of hazardous chemicals for food preservation and ripening, enforcement remains uneven, particularly in open markets dominated by informal traders.

Limited manpower, funding constraints and the sheer scale of Nigeria’s informal economy complicate routine inspections and sustained monitoring.

Beyond NAFDAC, other regulatory and enforcement bodies also have critical roles to play.

The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), state ministries of health, consumer protection councils, and local government market authorities are all part of the ecosystem required to ensure food safety.

However, weak coordination among these institutions often creates regulatory gaps being exploited by unscrupulous traders.

Consumer awareness is another weak link. Many buyers prioritise appearance and price, unknowingly rewarding traders who use unsafe methods to make products look fresher or more attractive.

Without adequate public education, demand-side pressure for safe food remains limited, reducing the deterrent effect of regulations.

To effectively sanitise the public food space, regulatory agencies must adopt a multi-pronged approach. This includes intensified market surveillance, stiffer penalties for offenders, and closer collaboration with market unions to enforce self-regulation.

Routine, visible enforcement actions can serve as deterrence, while mobile testing units could help detect adulterated products on the spot. Equally important is sustained public education to help consumers identify warning signs of adulteration and understand the health risks involved.

Ensuring food safety in Nigeria’s markets is not solely a regulatory burden; it is a public health imperative. As economic pressures push traders to cut corners, the responsibility on NAFDAC and allied agencies grows heavier.

Without decisive and coordinated action, unsafe market practices will continue to thrive — quietly transferring the cost of profit-seeking from traders to the health of the Nigerian public.