The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in Bauchi State has condemned the use of contact chemicals for food preservation by some farmers.

Moses Atsevgo, the Bauchi State Coordinator of the Ministry stated in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Bauchi that the use of the chemicals was dangerous.

“Contact chemical” are substances that act, function, or produce effects upon direct external touch or surface exposure, rather than needing to be ingested or absorbed internally.

According to him, some of these chemicals, when sprayed on the grains, do not completely come off when the grains are washed, emphasising that it is a dangerous practice that could result in food poisoning.

He said that farmers have been advised to use gaseous circulation chemicals instead for food preservation.

The coordinator said that Phostoxin, popularly known as bomb, was a recommended chemical for food preservation.

“Phostoxin should be applied while wearing gloves, the tablet tied properly in a piece of cloth, and put at the bottom, middle and top of a bag of 150 to 200 measures of grains and sealed tightly.

“Another recommended preservation method is the PIC bag made from the US, which is a zero-chemical bag of about three plastic layers. You pour in your grains in the first plastic layer and then tie, you also tie the second plastic layer and then tie the third layer. This bag prevents pests from coming to destroy the grains,” Atsevgo added.

The coordinator also said that the use of moringa, neem and eucalyptus leaves as organic methods for food preservation were the last safest methods for food preservation.

He said that, when you dry your moringa, neem or eucalyptus leaves under a shade, put them under and over the crops, assuring that no pests would come close to the grains.

(NAN)