National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Gombe, on Friday announced the confiscation of 80 bags of adulterated wheat found in the store of one Adamu Hassan in Gombe market.
NAFDAC’s State Coordinator, James Agada, who displayed the adulterated wheat to journalists in Gombe, warned members of the public to be wary of such wheat, which he said are not meant for human consumption.
According to Agada, the 80 bags of adulterated wheat were meant for planting by farmers as it has been treated with pesticides and not for human consumption.
He said a measure of wheat originally goes between N600 -N1,000, while the adulterated wheat goes between N200- N300 making it in high demand.
“As part of our routine surveillance and work in the state, we gathered intelligence that chemically treated wheat, meant for by farmers has been diverted into the market in Gombe here for sale to consumers at a very reduced rate for their consumption,” he said.
He warned that the consequence of consuming such pesticides treated wheat is dangerous to health of members of the public.
According to Agada, investigations by NAFDAC revealed that the chemically treated wheat is meant for farmers with the Anchor Borrowers programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.
He added that “the chemicals used in treating this is a pesticide and it also has fungicidal effect, such that this grain in the soil will resist attack of fungicides and insects. Something that is dangerous to insects and now someone is ingesting it directly. It will impact on neurological issues, as well as proliferation of kidney issues.
