Former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has raised concerns over food safety after laboratory analysis reportedly found the freshly squeezed orange juice consumed by his wife, Dolapo, unfit for human consumption.
Osinbajo disclosed this at the Open Day of the Gardeners’ Seminar, themed “Leaving the Earth Better Than We Found It,” held in Lagos on August 28. A recording of the event was later shared on his YouTube channel.
He explained that his wife had abandoned carbonated drinks for freshly squeezed orange juice, believing it to be a healthier option, but subsequently began suffering unexplained headaches after taking the drink regularly.
According to Osinbajo, efforts by his wife to determine the possible cause led her to send a sample of the juice for laboratory examination, with the result reportedly indicating that it was unsafe for consumption.
Osinbajo said the incident prompted him to question the safety of fruits and vegetables moving through the country’s food supply chain. He alleged that some farmers and traders use chemicals in cultivating, ripening or preserving agricultural produce.
He specifically mentioned calcium carbide and other chemicals, including pesticides, which he said had featured in studies examining practices among fruit and vegetable sellers in parts of Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos states. However, he did not disclose the substance allegedly detected in his wife’s juice or release the laboratory report.
The former Vice-President warned consumers against assuming that food is safe simply because it looks fresh or is described as natural. He urged Nigerians to pay closer attention to how food is cultivated, handled, preserved and processed before reaching the table.
Osinbajo called for stronger regulation and enforcement throughout the food supply chain, while encouraging farmers and traders to adopt safer practices and consumers to wash fruits and vegetables properly and report suspected unsafe practices to the appropriate authorities.
