Fruits in Nigeria always come in season, be it mango, orange, or pineapple. Back then, one thing was certain: they were fresh and naturally ripened under the sun. But these days, the story has changed.

Mangoes now appear alongside African Star Apples (“agbalumo”), and oranges seem never to go out of season. This is not nature’s gift, but rather the result of a dangerous shortcut, the chemical ripening of fruits with substances like calcium carbide.

What makes this shift even more worrying is how quietly it has crept into our food system. Many Nigerians buy fruits daily from roadside stalls or open markets, never suspecting that the bright, shiny mango or perfectly yellow banana may have been forced to ripen in a matter of hours rather than weeks.

The tradition of waiting for fruits to mature naturally, with their rich taste and true nutritional value, is being replaced by a rushed process that puts appearance over safety.

Older generations recall a time when seasonal fruits felt like a celebration, eagerly anticipated and enjoyed without fear. Today, that trust has been broken. Behind the illusion of year-round abundance lies a hidden danger: fruits laced with toxic chemicals that can slowly harm the body while promising sweetness on the surface.

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It is against this backdrop that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has raised fresh concerns over the use of calcium carbide in fruit ripening. Speaking at a sensitisation programme on food quality standards in Ado-Ekiti, the agency’s Chief Executive, Mr. Olatunji Bello, warned Nigerians to be vigilant about the fruits they consume.

He explained that calcium carbide contains toxic substances like arsenic and phosphorus, both of which are harmful to human health and can cause long-term complications if ingested repeatedly.

Represented by Mrs. Nkechi Mba, the FCCPC’s Director of Quality Assurance, Bello condemned the rising sale of adulterated and contaminated foods in Nigerian markets, stressing that perpetrators were endangering lives for profit.

He added that the commission, in collaboration with NAFDAC, SON, and the Ministries of Health and Agriculture, had begun tougher enforcement measures, including market surveys, sanctions, and prosecution of offenders.

While the warning is timely, it also reveals a deeper problem. In a country where poverty forces many families to buy the cheapest food available, consumers often do not question how fruits look so perfect or why they are suddenly available all year round. Vendors, desperate to meet demand and make quick profits, resort to chemical ripening as a shortcut, leaving health risks for ordinary Nigerians to bear.

The FCCPC urged buyers to be cautious, noting that food safety is not just about appearance but about the unseen dangers hidden beneath. Until stricter enforcement is matched with consumer awareness and affordable access to safe produce, many Nigerians will continue to unknowingly pay for convenience with their health.

Cynthia Nwanonyiri