Amidst dwindling purchasing power and rising costs of living, some traders across markets in Nigeria have resorted to using artificial colouring and other deceptive methods to attract customers.
Investigations reveal that food items such as fufu, yam flour, palm oil, blended pepper, melon, and shrimps are increasingly being manipulated to look fresher and more appealing than they truly are.
For instance, shrimp sellers reportedly add bright artificial colouring to give the seafood a rich orange glow.
But as someone who understands food processing to an extent, a woman, narrated, “When you wash the shrimps, the colour washes off immediately, leaving them pale. I had to return some to the seller for a refund after I realized they were adulterated.”
Another worried consumer, also expressed concern, saying, “It is devastating to realize that over 50 per cent of what we eat is adulterated. I even stopped eating fufu when I learnt that some producers use detergent to speed up fermentation.”
Beyond all these, findings also uncovered the padding of moi moi leaves, where sellers allegedly add pumpkin stems to bulk up the wrap, deceiving buyers into paying more.
A caterer, who recently bought such leaves, lamented: “I opened the bundle and found out most were stems, not leaves. It is frustrating how customers are being shortchanged daily.”
Health experts warned that these practices, while aimed at boosting patronage and to survive the hash economic tide, expose unsuspecting consumers to serious health risks