Formaldehyde or the liquid formalin used in the preservation of dead bodies is also illegally used in preservation of some foods such as frozen chicken/turkey.
Various health researches and researchers have confirmed that formaldehyde is a toxic chemical. Other foods though illegally preserved with formaldehyde include meat, vegetables, fruits. Regular consumption of foods preserved with such has been found to cause severe health problems. These range from internal burns -serious inflammatory effects, hormonal imbalances, organ damage such as kidney disease to cancer.
According to the
National Institutes of Health (NIH) – USA, formaldehyde, which is sometimes illegally added to food for preservation, can cause significant damage due to its high reactivity with proteins and nucleic acids in the body, which disrupts normal cell function.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies formaldehyde as carcinogenic to humans. There are other myriad of health challenges linked to formaldehyde which include headaches, skin irritations and so on.
According to NIH, there is formaldehyde which occurs naturally in small, trace amounts in many common foods (fruits, vegetables, fish, meat) as a result of normal metabolic processes. The human body also produces and metabolises formaldehyde naturally, and generally eliminates these low levels without harm. The real danger stems from added formaldehyde (formalin), which is used as an industrial chemical and embalming fluid, and is present in quantities far exceeding natural levels. Formaldehyde as a direct food preservative is already banned in many countries especially those in the European Union.
I am not sure if the use of formaldehyde in food preservation is banned here in Nigeria. The food with usage of formaldehyde is usually imported frozen foods such as chicken and turkey especially those smuggled into the country. In 2006 thereabout, importation of these was banned in Nigeria but it has continued because the demand for the frozen chickens and turkeys are so very high not just for parties but for individuals and households.
These poultry birds needing so much preservation are produced outside the African continent and shipped frozen to West Africa. So the dealers need to keep them looking fresh even though they are ‘over-dead’.
Also, perhaps as a result of dodging customs control when bringing into Nigeria, there could be delays during transportation. This would then result in the cold chain being disrupted. But the operators would have used strong preservative, most likely toxic substance - formaldehyde so the products still look and scent nice. Unfortunately the preservative is capable of damaging health of regular consumers.
SOLUTION
Don’t expect me to say don’t ever buy and eat such again when truth be told, our local poultry industry does not yet provide viable alternative that is convenient –readily available, cost-effective with small sizes instead of whole chickens/turkeys or preferable parts.
Over the years, I have asked operators in the poultry sector severally “why can’t chickens and turkeys produced in the country be sold massively, in bit sizes as frozen food?” So when consumers cannot afford or do not need at that point in time a whole bird, they can buy half or quarter or in kilograms- one kilogramme, half kilogramme. If produced in the country and stored frozen, they shouldn’t be ‘over-dead’ before reaching consumers. So there wouldn’t be need to use such a health-damaging chemical as formaldehyde – formalin, would there?
I have come to understand the reasons many live poultry dealers wouldn’t want to take the risks of slaughtering, dressing and freezing the chickens or turkeys in expectation of sale in my country Nigeria. In fact, even I, with all I know about the health challenges of these imported chickens, last week, after some years of avoiding such purchases I bought such frozen chicken. They are more readily available than live chickens in most areas, they are convenient and relatively cheaper.
I noticed few days afterwards that I was not feeling as energetic as I usually felt. I could still do some of my regular activities but not those very heavy tasks that required the activation of my super gecko- muscles!
Eating foods with such substances is likely major reason so many people are not as strong as they should be. There were even some hours afterwards that standing straight caused me pains. I even noticed wrinkles on my face and some strands of grey on my hair – I am not joking o. I have discovered that the signs of aging are more pronounced after eating certain foods or taking certain drinks.
I wouldn’t have minded the aging signs but it would give the impression that I am suffering so badly. Then concerned loved ones would attribute it to the farm work I do willingly in my mini-garden instead of the real culprit – toxic substances used in producing, processing or preserving most food and drinks. In fact, days later my body felt itchy and there were some blemishes for some days on my hitherto smooth skin.
So it’s your choice – if it’s just signs of aging and not actually sickness that formaldehyde-preserved foods brings, maybe you don’t mind. In fact, there’s even option of heavy make-up witj use of foundation to cover up wrinkles and skin blemishes.
In case toxin or toxicant brings sickness, going to hospital may be more convenient. Just know the possible cause(s) so as not to continue perpetuating the health problem while receiving treatment and blaming the medical professionals.
GOVERNMENT ROLE
Rather than putting efforts on enforcing the ban, the government should direct efforts on making it possible for local chicken producers and/or processors to sell locally produced chickens in smaller quantities as frozen.
I have sometimes urged live chicken sellers to slaughter a bird and sell half or a quarter of it to me. But they would say what would then happen to the remaining if no one buys immediately.
Frozen chicken sellers already selling the imported ‘over-dead’ frozen chickens/turkeys should be willing to accept and sell locally-produced poultry in bits as frozen foods. If there is massive publicity that frozen chicken/turkey sellers now have half or quarter locally-produced chickens/turkeys, surely there are consumers that would prefer to buy such?
Would there be people that would prefer the ‘over-dead’ imported toxic chickens/turkeys?
Dealers would no doubt complain of epileptic power supply as hindrance to preserving freshness of the locally-produced chickens. Maybe solar freezers can be adopted.
There are opportunities for viable investments in making it more convenient, readily available and cost-effective (smaller quantities),to get locally-produced chickens/turkeys.
As demand for the locally-produced chickens/turkeys increase, please producers and processors, avoid the use of health-damaging growth-boosters and preservatives. People who produce/sell food and drinks that damage consumers’ health eventually lose out completely.
#shieldyourblood
#formaldehyde
#formalin
#frozenchicken
#frozenturkey
#frozenfood
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