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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has intercepted large quantities of dangerous animal hides and skins, popularly known as Ponmo, in Lagos.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this in a statement by the Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, on Sunday.
Adeyeye revealed that the NAFDAC Investigation and Enforcement officials carried out intelligence gathering around certain locations where the alleged products were being warehoused and sold, adding that seven merchants of the deadly product have been arrested by the agency.
The Director-General said the intelligence gathering was in response to several complaints received from the public, pertaining to alleged sale and distribution of imported hides and skins meant for use in leather industries which had already been processed with industrial chemicals.
According to Adeyeye, these hides and skins sold to unsuspecting members of the public as consumable animal skin products, otherwise called ponmo.
She, however, warned the general public, particularly consumers of ponmo against the activities of some unscrupulous businessmen and traders who are selling industrial animal hides as food articles.
‘’Monitoring was also extended to some buyers who patronise the sellers and custodians of the warehouse,’’she said.
Adeyeye added that preliminary investigation revealed that some of the hides and skins were imported illegally and sometimes diverted to some merchants of death who re-process the hides and skins and further sell them as consumable ponmo to the public.
“We recently conducted investigative raids upon some identified locations in Lagos State where market women and men were found clustered for purchase of leftovers from the warehouses.
“Large quantities (120 tons) of the products were intercepted at six different locations, stressing that seven suspects who were alleged to be involved in the acts are currently under investigation,” Adeyeye said.
The NAFDAC boss further explained that samples of the products have been sent to the laboratory for testing to ascertain the products quality and unwholesomeness.
She said the intervention would help the agency deal with the interaction and the dangers associated with the consumption of the products.
“The street value of the product currently intercepted is estimated to be around N25.3 million only.
‘’NAFDAC wishes to advise consumers and retailers of lonmo not to patronise importers of hides and skins for consumable animal skins,’’ the Director-General said.
She further warned that the hides, are pre-treated with industrial chemicals which are not of food grade and will be toxic and injurious to human health, stressing that health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of liver, kidney and heart damage, increased risk of Aplastic anemia, central nervous system toxicity, cancer, amongst several others.
“The general public is hereby encouraged to be very vigilant and exercise discretion when purchasing ponmo and indeed other food items. NAFDAC is fully alive to her responsibilities of assuring the safety, wholesomeness, and quality of processed foods offered for sale to the public,” Adeyeye added.