Consumer Council cautions Nigerians on ‘Sniper-treated’ beans

The director general of the Consumer Protection Council Babatunde Irukera, has warned Nigerians on the dangers of not thoroughly washing and parboiling their beans extensively before consumption.

This coming after a report filtered that retailers use insecticide known as sniper to treat beans so as to preserve it from weevils or molds.

“In any and every case, thoroughly washing food items before consumption or preparation for consumption is a generally accepted method of protecting and promoting safety,” Irukera said in a statement on Friday.

“Sniper, by its chemical composition and nature, is potentially injurious when human beings are unduly exposed by inhalation, absorption, direct skin contact or ingestion,” he added.

Irukera further stated that “the risk of injury on account of consumption of beans exposed to, or treated with Sniper is also existential, even though, an unintended consequence.”

The council director also admonished consumers to make sufficient inquiries before engaging in new purchases of beans as available information at the weekend revealed retailers have already built a huge stock of commodity.

He, therefore, advised that apart from the cooking method and enquiries before purchase, the council said consumers must wash their food items sufficiently before cooking.

Irukera affirmed that the council is collaborating with other relevant regulatory authorities to address the emergent dangerous situation.