By Ubong Sampson – Uyo
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against the consumption of smuggled frozen poultry products, as food items such as frozen poultry products, according to the agency, are usually preserved with formalin.
Formalin is a chemical added as a preservative for laboratory specimens and corpses and it has been proven unsafe for human consumption as it could cause cancer.
The chemical is derived from formaldehyde which is a known cancer-causing agent. It is used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. It can also increase shelf life of fresh food.
While medical experts claim formalin can cause nausea, coughing and burning sensation in eyes, nose and throat in the short term, they have also said it to cause cancer if consumed over a long period of time.
NAFDAC Spokesperson, Abubakar Jimoh, in an interview on Monday, said such products should be avoided as they contain toxic substances.
“NAFDAC is alerting Nigerians about this practice. There are enough poultry products in the country than to resort to frozen chicken smuggled in, in spite of the Nigerian government’s ban,’’ Jimoh added.
