Former VP, Osinbajo, Renews Conversation on Food Safety Concern

News in Brief:

— Former VP Osinbajo's disclosure that a laboratory test found his wife's freshly squeezed orange juice "not fit for human consumption" revived conversation around food safety in Nigeria

— The statement has drawn reactions from actress Jemima Osunde and the National Association of Nigerian Students, who are demanding stronger enforcement from NAFDAC, SON and other regulators.

Former Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has renewed conversations around the worrying state of food safety in Nigeria.

In a recent statement, he revealed that a laboratory test found that his wife’s freshly squeezed orange juice was not fit for human consumption. This revelation sparked public outcry over exposure to harmful food.

Popular voices, such as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and Nollywood celebrity actress Jemima Osunde, also joined the conversation, calling on regulatory bodies to improve public awareness and law enforcement to protect Nigerians from poisonous food.

Osinbajo’s Experience with Unsafe Fresh Fruit Juice

Prof Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at the Open Day for Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos, used his wife’s experience with unsafe fruit to warn the public about the need for more attention to how food is produced and preserved.

He recounted how his wife, Dolapo, began experiencing frequent headaches after making fresh orange juice part of her daily routine, having deliberately chosen to stay away from sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The persistent symptoms prompted her to send a batch of the juice for laboratory testing after checking other possible causes, which led to the alarming discovery that the fresh fruits were not fit for human consumption.

The professor of law and evidence linked the experience to concerns over pesticides and chemical usage in food production and preservation. He specifically mentioned calcium carbide, which is used to ripen fruits rapidly.

He therefore called on regulatory bodies to ensure stronger enforcement, greater public awareness and safer practices across the food supply chain, while urging consumers to remain vigilant about what they eat.

Public Worry and Outcry

In a related development, Nollywood actress Jemima Osunde lamented the state of food safety in Nigeria. Her social media post decried how many commonly consumed food items are allegedly being tampered with or contaminated before reaching consumers.

Expressing worry about growing reports of adulterated food, she questioned how citizens can totally avoid consuming unsafe foods. 

Osunde had previously shared her unfortunate experience with consuming contaminated food at a film location and battling Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) for years after contracting Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a stomach-infecting bacterium.

The actress, who holds a Master's Degree in Public Health, while calling for stricter monitoring and safety measure enforcement by regulatory bodies, nostalgically recalled the performance of the erstwhile Director-General of NAFDAC, Dora Akunyili, saying:

“I miss Dora Akunyili so much. She must be up there shaking her head at all fake sh*t in the country right now,” she wrote.

Reacting to Osinbajo’s remark, the NANS Senate issued a statement urging more effective enforcement of measures to regulate drugs, food and other consumable products in the country.

In the statement, the association's president, Ibeabuchi Moses Onyia, said recent reports of suspected counterfeit toothpaste, dyed palm oil, artificially enhanced fruits, counterfeit soy sauce and olive oil, as well as suspected fake yoghurt products, underscored the need for increased monitoring and enforcement.

The association also raised concerns about the sale of drugs, supplements, cosmetics and food products through social media and e-commerce platforms, urging relevant authorities to strengthen verification and traceability mechanisms for online vendors.

The student body called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene personally and urgently in what it termed the regulatory collapse at NAFDAC and related agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). It demanded an immediate, independent audit of their enforcement capacity and performance.