The Oyo State House of Assembly has taken a firm step toward protecting public health by calling for urgent action against the use of harmful chemicals to preserve fruits, vegetables, and other food items in the state.
During its plenary session on Tuesday, the Assembly urged the state government—through the Ministries of Health and Environment and Natural Resources, to embark on intensive sensitization campaigns across markets and communities to warn against the dangerous practice.
The motion, titled “Need to Regulate and Control the Unhygienic and Unhealthy Preservation of Fruits, Vegetables and Other Food Items by Unscrupulous Vendors,” was moved by Hon. Anthony Ogunsola, representing Iwajowa State Constituency, and co-sponsored by several other lawmakers including Hon. Sanjo Onaolapo (Ogbomoso South), Hon. Bamidele Adeola (Iseyin/Itesiwaju), Hon. Abiodun Babalola (Ibadan North East I), Hon. Comforter Olajide (Ibadan North I), Hon. Olorunpoto Rahaman (Oyo East/West), and Hon. Peter Ojedokun (Ibarapa North/East).
Speaking on the motion, Hon. Ogunsola, who chairs the House Committee on Solid Minerals, expressed concern over the growing trend of vendors using chemicals such as formalin and calcium carbide to preserve perishable food items. He warned that these substances are not only toxic but capable of causing severe health issues including poisoning, respiratory complications, cancer, and damage to vital organs like the liver and kidneys.
“Fruits and vegetables are meant to nourish the body and strengthen the immune system,” Ogunsola said. “But when they are laced with dangerous chemicals just to make them look fresh or ripe, they become silent killers instead of sources of health.”
He further noted that despite the numerous health benefits of consuming fruits and vegetables, the unhygienic and artificial preservation methods adopted by some roadside and market vendors in Oyo State have become a major health concern.
According to him, unripe fruits such as oranges and bananas are often artificially ripened or dyed to appear attractive, exposing unsuspecting consumers to dangerous toxins.
The Assembly, therefore, urged the relevant ministries to collaborate on enforcement strategies, including the use of technology to test fruits and vegetables sold in markets and roadside stalls for chemical residues.
It also called for the prosecution of vendors found guilty of using harmful substances to deter others.
Also, the House resolved to set up an Ad-hoc Committee drawn from its Committees on Health, Nutrition and Food Security, and Environment, Water Resources and Ecology.
The committee is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of fruits, vegetables, and other consumables preserved with unsafe chemicals across the state.
The lawmakers also appealed to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to intensify its monitoring and enforcement operations, particularly in Ibadan and other urban centers, to curb the use of toxic chemicals in food preservation.
The House emphasized that the safety of food consumed by residents of Oyo State must never be compromised, describing the issue as a matter of public health and moral responsibility.