By Mutalib Jibril
The Consumers’ Dilemma
A visit to some popular markets in Sokoto State shows that many consumers still prefer rotten tomatoes.
Zainab, a retired school teacher and grandmother, carefully selects the least spoiled tomatoes she can find. “What choice do we have?” she asks, a note of defiance in her voice. “These are half the price of the fresh ones. With my pension cut, I have to make do.”
Like Zainab, another buyer, a mother of three, picks carefully through a pile of tomatoes, trying to find the least spoiled among them. “Look, we all know it’s not the best,” she admits, her voice tinged with resignation. “But when you have to feed a family and every penny counts, sometimes you compromise where you shouldn’t.”
Many consumers are aware of the health risks, including potential liver damage, associated with consuming deteriorated tomatoes but have no option due to the economic hardship ravaging the country.
The Sellers’ Side
He shares his perspective at the shop of a middle-aged vendor in Sokoto State with a genial smile that belies his struggle. “It’s not like I don’t know the risks,” he says, gesturing to the less-than-perfect tomatoes. “But these come cheaper from the farmers, and if I don’t sell them, I don’t earn anything. People still buy them because they’re cheaper, and every sale helps me keep my own family afloat.”
Questions about accountability and choice arise. Why sell a product known to be harmful? He sighs, “It’s a vicious cycle. Honestly, we need better support from our leaders and better economic policies that can help both the sellers and the buyers choose health over cost.”
Also, Yakub, a wholesaler, provides insight into the logistics issues plaguing the supply chain. “Transportation delays and poor infrastructure mean that a lot of the produce spoils before it even reaches the market,” he explains. The economic downturn has exacerbated these issues, with fuel prices soaring and maintenance costs skyrocketing, making it difficult to deliver fresh produce efficiently.
Yakub admits to facing a moral dilemma. “I hate selling these, but it’s this or let my business die. We need government support to upgrade our transport and storage facilities.”
Voices from the farm
The tomatoes start fine,” Alhaji Buba explains. “But with the cost of proper storage and transport being so high, some spoil before reaching the market.”
Alhaji Buba’s plight highlights a crucial gap in infrastructure that affects both the quality of produce and consumers’ health. He emphasizes government intervention: “We need access to better facilities and services to keep our produce fresh until it reaches the consumer. This would benefit everyone.”
For Yusuf, each day begins with the promise of a new harvest and the weight of responsibility. “We take pride in growing quality tomatoes,” he explains, his hands weathered from years of tending the land. “But without proper infrastructure and market access, our efforts often go unrewarded.”
His story mirrors the struggles of farmers across Nigeria, whose tireless labour sustains the nation even amidst adversity.
Farmers like Yusuf face many challenges, from unpredictable weather patterns to fluctuating market prices. “We need support to improve irrigation systems and market access,” he asserts firmly. “With the right investments, Nigerian agriculture can thrive.”
Experts Opinions
A Clinical Nutritionist at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Susan Holbrooke, said rotten tomatoes are unsafe for consumption and may damage the liver, impair child development, and also cause miscarriage.
She said rotten tomatoes contain aflatoxin and would have been contaminated by fungi diseases.
Experts say tomatoes are the major dietary source of antioxidants that protect against cell damage. They add that they are also high in Lycopene, a plant compound linked to good heart health, cancer prevention, and protection against sunburns.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Healthwise, the nutritionist said rotten tomatoes contain mycotoxin, which can damage the liver of those who consume them.
According to her, what we consume is expected to serve as nutrients and medicine for the body, not as a disease.
She explained, “Rotten tomatoes are unsafe for consumption. They can cause liver damage. For a pregnant woman with too much mycotoxin in her system, it can cause the child to be stunted. That’s why aflatoxins are poisonous to the liver. Our liver is like a powerhouse that promotes both the good and the bad things.
In a 2016 study published by PMC journal, the researchers said dietary exposure to aflatoxins is considered a major public health concern, especially for subsistence farming communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Due to hot and humid climates and poor storage, dietary staple food crops such as groundnuts and maize are often highly contaminated with aflatoxin.
“Aflatoxin exposure can occur at any stage of life and is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma, especially when hepatitis B infection is present.
Over the years, there have been warnings that rotten tomatoes can be dangerous to health when consumed.
In 2018, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned Nigerians against consuming rotten tomatoes to prevent cancer.
Christiana Essenwa, a Deputy Director at the Agency who issued the warning, said rotten tomatoes contain microorganisms that induce cancer.
In her words: “Some people think that rotten tomatoes, which are cheap, can be consumed after washing and heating, stressing that the toxins could not be washed or killed by heating since they are heat resistant.”
