By Joyce Asuquo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has again alerted Nigerians on the consumption of industrial hides as animal hides popularly known as Ponmo owing to activities of unscrupulous business men and traders who are selling industrial animal hides as food article.
In a press release signed by the Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye she said that industrial animal hides cannot be consumed as Ponmo which is a food article.
According to the statement, the agency said that as far back as 2015 it has being monitoring intelligence reports through its Investigation and Enforcement Directorate, and has discovered isolated cases of dangerous diversion of animal hides meant for industrial use into the food chain for consumption as local delicacy PONMO.
This practice poses grave danger to public health she said.
Investigations revealed that some companies are legally importing hides from countries such as Lebanon and Turkey, while majority of the product was smuggled into the country through the porous borders.
These imported animal hides are meant for industrial use by leather industries for the manufacture of items such as shoes, bag, belt etc.
The hides, therefore, are pre-treated with industrial chemicals which are not of food grade and will be toxic and injurious to human health. Health hazards inherent in the consumption of such animal hides include risk of Liver, Kidney and Heart damage, increased risk of a plastic anaemia, Central nervous system toxicity, Cancer, etc the statement said.
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