A study conducted by Prof. Olumide Tewe, a
nutritional toxicologist at the University of Ibadan, alongside some of
his colleagues, has revealed that imported frozen chicken and turkey
contain certain chemical substances that are harmful to human health.
Speaking at a press briefing organised by
the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, a
nutritional enzymologist, Dr. Okhiomah Abu, who is one of the
researchers, said that poultry products imported into Nigeria contained
toxic and heavy metals that could worsen the occurrence of food-borne
diseases in the country.
Abu said, “Most of the feed given to
these poultry animals are usually contaminated and they contain metals.
The heavy metals are concentrated in the kidneys and livers of the
chicken.
“They
also find them difficult to excrete so they are passed along to humans
when they eat these imported meats. We also found out that poor handling
of these imported meats also increases the risk of contamination.”
The Director- General, NAFDAC, Dr. Paul
Orhii, who was at the event, said the study also showed that imported
poultry products were preserved with high levels of formalin and other
hazardous chemicals that could pose grave danger to the health of
Nigerians.
Orhii noted that the presence of imported
poultry products would no longer be tolerated as the agency was
prepared to enforce the Federal Government’s ban on such food items.
He said, “The study showed that their
sheer volume is enough to heighten public health concerns for consumers
across Nigeria. The break in cold chains during smuggling encourages a
build-up of high microbial load, rendering such consignments unhealthy
and unfit for human consumption.”
Another researcher, Prof. C.I Alarima,
said the study showed that imported poultry products, especially chicken
and turkey, were loaded with harmful microbes.
Alarima, who is an agricultural
extensionist, said the study linked the isolation of Salmonella with
imported poultry meat. According to him, Salmonella infection is the
leading cause of death among those who eat imported poultry meat.
“These bacteria can provoke a number of
symptoms of the disease within 72 hours of exposure and could last four
to seven days,” he added.
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