Stakeholders express concerns over adulterated palm oil

Stakeholders in the Palm Oil industry are expressing serious concern over presence of adulterated palm oil or ‘killer palm oil’ in markets across the country.

National Daily gathered that some palm oil dealers now dilute original palm oil with substances injurious to health in other to maximize their profits.

As gathered, when the colourant is mixed with water and added to original palm oil, it increases its redness, which creates the impression that it is better in quality than other oil in the market.

It was further learnt that the demand for the ‘killer oil’ is increasing unknowingly due to its rich colour and attractiveness, as buyers prefer it to the original oil.

The state’s coordinator of NAFDAC, Lawal Musa Dadingelma, confirmed that the adulterated palm oil samples tested contained dye, which is capable of causing cancer when deposited in human body.

The Managing Director/CEO of Bama Farms, Prince Wale Oyekoya, said an unscrupulous cabal imports the poisonous oil, but government lacks the political will to stop them.

“For their selfish reasons they become accomplice to the crime of killing our economy and turn us to beggars from western countries. The adulterated oil is not healthy as it causes cancer and all kinds of dangerous conditions, such as having high level of bad cholesterol that graduates to heart disease. It’s easy to be identified as it becomes whitish in the bottom and gets bad easily unlike our pure palm oil that can stay for several months.

While linking the development to high demand, he added that with population growth, the country would continue to import palm oil. Oyekoya, who also backed Olatujoye’s position, said some states in Southwest, South south and southeast produce large quantity, but not enough to meet the country’s consumption.

“Some of the states export to neighbouring countries to earn foreign exchange. The production is not enough for local consumption as the processing is still done manually by aged people.

“Government can only assist by providing enabling environment with better infrastructure. With our exploding population, we need to go mechanized farming, else, we will keep on deceiving ourselves that all is well, when it’s not. Continuing, he said: “More research institutes with better funding will increase our production. More farmlands to the farmers will increase our production backed by modern tools and bulldozers to clear the land.”