Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has called for stronger regulation and public awareness over the safety of fresh fruits and beverages in Nigeria.
Osinbajo made the call after a laboratory test reportedly showed that freshly squeezed orange juice prepared by his wife, Dolapo Osinbajo, was not safe for human consumption.
The former vice president spoke during the Open Day of the Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos, where he shared the experience as an example of the potential dangers consumers may face despite the seemingly fresh or natural appearance of food and drinks.
According to Osinbajo, his wife had stopped taking carbonated drinks several years ago and switched to freshly squeezed orange juice, believing it was a healthier alternative.
However, he said she later began experiencing unusual headaches after regularly consuming the juice.
After other possible causes of the headaches had reportedly been ruled out, a sample of the orange juice was taken to a laboratory for testing.
Osinbajo said the laboratory result indicated that the drink was unfit for human consumption.
He explained that the discovery raised concerns about substances that may be introduced into fruits and other food products during production, transportation or processing.
“Freshly squeezed orange juice was not fit for human consumption,” Osinbajo said, while recounting the experience.
He also mentioned substances allegedly identified as being used in the handling or treatment of fruits, including calcium carbide and other toxic chemicals.
Osinbajo warned that the appearance of freshness should not automatically be taken as proof that fruit is safe to eat.
“The fact that fruit looks fresh doesn’t mean that it is safe, and the fact that a drink is natural doesn’t mean that something dangerous has not been added to it along the way, especially along the journey from the farm to the table,” he said.
He urged relevant authorities to strengthen regulation and enforcement while increasing public awareness about food safety.
The former vice president stressed that greater attention must be paid to the processes involved in getting fruits and other food products from farms to consumers.
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