Experts and traders are raising concerns over growing food adulteration and unsafe processing practices in Nigeria, warning that chemicals, artificial ripening agents and reused cooking oil may be exposing millions of consumers to serious long-term health risks.
Nigeria’s traditional food processing culture is increasingly being replaced by practices driven by speed, profit and rising consumer demand, with investigations across Lagos markets revealing widespread concerns over unsafe food handling methods. Experts and traders warned that fruits are now force-ripened with chemicals such as calcium carbide, while cassava fermentation and preservation methods are increasingly being altered with unsafe substances. Reused cooking oil, adulterated palm oil and chemically preserved grains have also become common, raising fears over cancer, cardiovascular disease and other health complications linked to prolonged exposure to toxic compounds.
Speaking on the growing trend, a Lagos-based food vendor lamented that, “Getting naturally processed food today is like passing a thread through the eye of a needle.” Another trader at Cele Market, Abimbola Adebayo, said many consumers prioritise appearance and price over food safety. “When people come to my shop and I encourage them to buy, most people see me as being expensive. But they have not asked themselves questions about buying natural and unadulterated food products,” she said. While denying the use of calcium carbide in her business, she admitted that some traders use questionable methods to accelerate ripening. “I have a permanent supplier who is not also into that harmful practice. I have been in this business but I have never used carbide or anything to quicken the ripening of my plantains and bananas or any fruit,” she said.
Other traders acknowledged that economic pressure and consumer demand often encourage sharp practices in the food market. A groundnut seller identified as Mama Ekaette claimed some processors now use substances other than clean sand to roast groundnuts, while another fruit seller, identified as Titi, admitted that plantains are often treated to soften quickly because buyers prefer ripe products. “Customers don’t have patience. If you bring unripe plantain today, they will not buy. But if it is ripe, they will finish it immediately,” she said. Meanwhile, an Oyingbo Market trader, Mrs Chinenye Ozoh, confirmed that adulteration of red oil remains a concern. “I have stopped buying oil from Lagos. I make sure I order my oil from the East. My customers know me for that. It may be N200 higher than the market price but what I am selling is not mixed with any other thing,” she said.
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