Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over the use of dangerous chemicals in ripening and preserving fruits, after a lab test found his wife’s freshly squeezed orange juice “not fit for human consumption.”
Speaking at the Gardeners’ Seminar in Lagos on August 28, Osinbajo said his wife Dolapo developed frequent headaches after drinking fresh orange juice daily.
“We assumed it couldn’t be the healthy orange juice,” he said. “The results came back. It showed the orange juice, freshly squeezed, was not fit for human consumption.”
He blamed the result on harmful pesticides and chemicals used by some farmers and sellers. Osinbajo said calcium carbide is frequently used to force bananas, mangoes, pawpaws and tomatoes to ripen quickly.
Citing studies, he said a 2024 survey in Ado-Ekiti found 10 of 20 fruit sellers admitted using calcium carbide. A study in Uyo reported 25% of sellers used it, while a 2023 Lagos survey found 22 of 50 retailers admitted using chemicals to preserve produce.
“These were the ones who agreed they do,” he said.
The warning comes amid growing public concern over counterfeit and substandard food products, with NAFDAC and SON facing increased pressure on social media.
