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In a statement released on Friday, the Consumer Protection Council
(CPC), warned Nigerians on the dangers of not parboiling their beans
extensively before consumption.
According to PREMIUM Times who obtained the statement, the CPC
director general, Babatunde Irukera, said the warning became necessary
after the agency received information that has already gone viral on
reported use of sniper chemical by retailers to preserve beans.
Irukera said consumers must make sufficient enquiries before
engaging in new purchases of beans as available information at the
weekend revealed retailers have already built a huge stock of commodity.
Apart from the cooking method and enquiries before purchase, the
council said consumers must wash their food items sufficiently before
cooking.
“In any and every case, thoroughly washing food items before
consumption or preparation for consumption is a generally accepted
method of protecting and promoting safety,” the statement said.
The statement said the consumer protection agency recently
confirmed credible information that retailers, mostly in the open
market, were using a pesticide, 2,2-dichlorovinyl dimethyl phosphate
(DDVP) compound, otherwise marketed and known as “Sniper” to preserve
beans, ostensibly to eliminate or protect from weevils.
“Sniper, by its chemical composition and nature, is potentially
injurious when human beings are unduly exposed by inhalation,
absorption, direct skin contact or ingestion,” Irukera said.
“The risk of injury on account of consumption of beans exposed
to, or treated with Sniper is also existential, even though, an
unintended consequence,” he added.
He cautioned further on the dangers of using unauthorised chemical to preserve food items.
Although cooking significantly reduces risk of exposure from
pesticides, as most are diminished under extended periods of direct heat
in excess of 100 degrees, the DG said the best possible caution is to
avoid subjecting food items to pesticides not in accordance with
prevailing food safety regulations”.
To further mitigate possible dangers consumers could be exposed to,
he said the Council was already collaborating with other relevant
regulatory authorities to address the emergent dangerous situation.