NAFDAC Vows Sanctions Over Calcium Carbide Fruit Ripening and Bad Cans

AWKA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s food and drug regulator has warned that it will sanction traders involved in calcium carbide fruit ripening and vendors who sell adulterated canned foods, as officials and health experts in the South-East raised concerns about food safety, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported in a story carried by Peoples Gazette on 2 November.

Louis Madubuatta, coordinator of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Anambra State, said in Awka that the agency “will go after defaulters who fail to comply with laid-down sales protocols”. He said NAFDAC has been carrying out this work for years and is sensitising the public through text messages and mass media, and is working with other agencies to keep calcium carbide and other ripening chemicals off the market.

The risks of calcium carbide fruit ripening

Emmanuel Umenweke, a retired director of medical services at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, explained the difference between approved and unsafe methods. “Ethylene, for instance, when used appropriately under approved conditions, was a recognised fruit-ripening agent,” he said. But “industrial-grade carbide may contain contaminants such as arsenic and phosphorus compounds,” he added.

Misuse of ripening agents can cause acute poisoning, with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and dizziness, according to the report. Umenweke cautioned, however, that kidney disease has several causes and should not be blamed on ripened fruit or canned food without scientific evidence.

Calcium carbide releases acetylene gas when it comes into contact with moisture, which speeds up ripening in a way similar to ethylene. Traders use it because it is cheap and makes fruit change colour quickly, allowing produce to be sold sooner. Many countries ban its use on food because of the risk of contamination and because the fruit may look ripe on the outside while remaining unripe inside.

In Ebonyi State, NAFDAC coordinator Emeka Orajiaka said the agency had strengthened surveillance through market inspections, product sampling, laboratory testing and enforcement, working with the state government and environmental health officers. NAFDAC has also warned about unauthorised dyes, including Sudan III and certain azo dyes, being added to palm oil.

Jude Nwokedi, a fruit seller at the International Market in Abakaliki, confirmed that some traders use calcium carbide. He said oranges, bananas and mangoes that turn yellow very quickly may have been artificially ripened.

Market traders often face pressure to ripen fruit quickly because unripe produce sells slowly and spoils during transport, while cold storage and controlled ripening facilities are scarce. Those economic pressures help explain why the practice persists despite repeated warnings from regulators.

Canned food safety

Chikezie Obasi, a medical practitioner in Enugu, warned that poor processing and preservation of canned foods can expose consumers to toxins, including those produced by Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. He advised consumers to avoid cans that are swollen, leaking, badly dented or damaged, or that have broken seals. “Consumers should also observe expiry dates and follow manufacturers’ storage and preparation instructions,” he said.

Nutritionist Nkechinyere Ekwe said fruits provide nutrients that support the immune system and urged people to keep eating them, but warned against produce treated with unsafe chemicals.

Practical steps for consumers include buying fruit from trusted sellers, being cautious about produce that is uniformly bright in colour but hard or tasteless inside, washing fruit thoroughly, and peeling it where appropriate. Allowing fruit to ripen naturally at home, or using approved methods, avoids exposure to industrial chemicals.

Enforcement against calcium carbide fruit ripening is difficult because the practice is spread across thousands of market stalls and transport points. Public awareness, combined with targeted inspections of wholesale markets and depots where fruit is stored, is likely to have more effect than isolated raids. Traders also need practical alternatives, such as access to approved ripening methods and better storage, so they can meet demand without unsafe shortcuts.

Food safety is part of public health that is often overlooked until poisoning occurs, and regulators’ resources are stretched across medicines, food and cosmetics.

Complaints about calcium carbide fruit ripening are common in Nigerian markets, and regulators have periodically warned against the practice, but the chemical remains cheap and widely available.

Health experts generally advise that people who develop symptoms after eating fruit or canned food, such as persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing, blurred vision or muscle weakness, should seek medical care promptly. Botulism in particular is a medical emergency that can cause paralysis.

The report did not say how many traders have been sanctioned or what penalties NAFDAC intends to apply.

Why it matters: Industrial ripening chemicals and spoiled cans can poison consumers, so enforcement and public awareness protect everyday food safety.

Source: Peoples Gazette (News Agency of Nigeria report), November 2026.