Nigerian were Tuesday warned against the use of grindingmachine to grind vegetables. The
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu
Ogbeh, gave the warning at the launching
and National Dissemination of Food and Nutrition Policy in Abuja, adding that the machine was not good for such purpose.
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| Audu Ogbe, Agric Minister |
According to him, the machines which
are being used to grind tomatoes, pepper and other vegetables, contain some
elements which were harmful to the body.
“The elements in those machines are
produced in ordinary steel not stainless steel. As a result of that, a great
deal of granules get into our food.
“These granules are very poisonous
to the liver and kidneys; no wonder cases of liver and kidney diseases in the
country are on the increase.’’
Ogbeh also advised Nigerians not to
use cellophane bags (nylon) to package foods and water.
Using `moi-moi’ as an example, he
said that the food becomes poisonous when prepared and packaged in nylon bags.
According to him, cellophane bags
contain a large dosage of dioxins that are harmful to health.
He advised lovers of moi-moi to use the
traditional wrapping leaves rather than cellophane, adding that leaves do not
contain such poisonous substance.
In addition, the minister said beans
and grains preserved with polythene bags could also be harmful, being stored at
a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.
He also said that the consumption of
sachet water (pure water) exposed to over 28 degree Celsius temperature was
dangerous for drinking.
Ogbeh further urged Nigerians to eat
balanced diet.
“Our diets are heavily carbohydrate
and too much of it is not good for human nutrition.
“We should include vegetables and
fruits in our diets to increase our nutrients,’’ Ogbeh said.
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