Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), has warned that rising cases of organ failure and cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria may stem from consuming foods processed with locally fabricated grinding machines contaminated by heavy metals.
Director-General Dr. Jummai Adamu Tutuwa disclosed this in a statement to journalists, citing a 2013 FIIRO assessment of machines used in Lagos markets to grind tomatoes, pepper, onions, and melon seeds.
The study detected heavy metals like lead, copper, chromium, nickel, cadmium, and manganese, plus non-heavy metals including calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron—some exceeding WHO and FAO safety limits, especially near traffic and industrial zones.
Dr. Tutuwa explained that these non-degradable metals bioaccumulate in the body, posing toxicity risks even to young adults, with cadmium flagged as a major ecotoxicological threat from industrial sources entering the food chain.
To counter this, FIIRO has developed a stainless-steel pepper grinding machine for safer dry and wet milling, planning collaborations with the National Assembly, Office of the First Lady, and stakeholders for mass production, distribution, monitoring, and maintenance.
The institute stressed urgent needs for stricter regulations, enforcement, public awareness, and documentation of market grinders to curb contamination-linked cancers, heart diseases, and organ failures nationwide.
