The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has warned Nigerians against consuming fruits ripened with calcium carbide, a toxic chemical.

Speaking during a food safety sensitization program in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, the FCCPC Executive Chairman Olatunji Bello, represented by Director of Quality Assurance Nkechi Mba, condemned the rising sale of adulterated foods, particularly fruits ripened with calcium carbide, which contains harmful arsenic and phosphorus.

“These practices endanger lives and erode trust in our food systems,” Bello.

The agency has launched nationwide enforcement, shutting down facilities, imposing sanctions, and prosecuting offenders based on market surveys.

Collaborating with NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, and federal and state ministries, the FCCPC urged consumers to inspect produce carefully and buy from trusted sources.

The event, attended by farmers, vendors, and groups like the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, underscored the agency’s push to educate stakeholders and protect consumers.

Nigeria’s struggle with unsafe food practices is further heightened by recent efforts to displace organic seedlings with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), against warnings by indigenous observers who stress the need to safeguard health and livelihoods amid economic pressures and lax regulation.