Quest for increased patronage: Traders now use artificial food colouring to attract customers

The quest for increased patronage by traders is rising day by day following the existing low purchasing power of customers.

The pile of bills to be met coupled with low sales have made traders sought for various means to increase the quantity of sales and make their wares attractive to customers.

The quest for increased patronage by traders is rising day by day following the existing low purchasing power of customers.

The pile of bills to be met coupled with low sales have made traders sought for various means to increase the quantity of sales and make their wares attractive to customers.

This has made it more difficult to identify the exact look or originality of these wares.

Food items like fufu (pounded cassava) , yam flour, palm oil, blended pepper and melon among other things fall under such manipulations.

Economy&Lifestyle discovered that the latest food item that is facing this manipulation is fried or dried shrimp.

Economy&Lifestyle findings revealed that most shrimp sellers (fried or dried) now add artificial colourings to create a bright orange colouring, making the shrimps attractive to the eyes.

“When you put these shrimps in a bowl of water, the colouring washes out instantly from them into the water.

“To get fresh food items, especially processed ones, in the market is a task that one would thoroughly investigate the sellers to know who is selling quality and unadulterated goods.

“Almost everything in the market is adulterated or made to look bigger by trick.

“Recently, I bought shrimp. When I wanted to wash it, I discovered that the water had already turned red, leaving the shrimp less colorful.

“I was so angry that I took the remaining shrimp to the woman to refund my money back.It was later I gathered that most shrimp sellers add artificial colouring to make it enticing to customers”, Mrs. Rashidat Lawani, a caterer said.

The use of artificial coloring and other contaminants poses health risks to consumers.

On the other hand, Mr. Richard Momodu, a PoS agent also confirmed the development. “I use to like crayfish, prawn and shrimp.I buy shrimps alot. But recently, I stopped buying them because I discovered that the seller was using artificial colouring to make it more attractive.

“It is devastating to realize that over 50 per cent of what we eat is adulterated or tampered with all in the name of boosting sales or patronage.

“I stopped eating fufu when I heard some producers use detergent to speed up its fermentation process.

“It is only God that saves us from what we put in our stomach.”

Another discovery of Economy&Lifestyle is the padding of the leaf used to wrap bean cake(moi moi).

This makes the leaf look plenty and worth the price to the buyer.

Before, many individuals did not use this leaf which is mainly used in the Western part of the country.

However, with great awareness of the high risk of using cellophane to package hot food, many prioritized their health, thereby adopting this leaf.Moi moi leaf also known as Thaumatococcus daniellii.Mrs.Tife Tajudeen, a caterer, said: “I bought moimoi leaf recently. When I opened it to use I was astonished with what I saw.

“The leaves were not up to 20 pieces. The seller padded it with pumpkin leaf stems to make it fuller.“I was not happy at all. How do you deceive customers all in the name of making gains and increasing patronage. A friend told me that was the trend now.

“It is only God that will help us. Everything in the market is either padded or adulterated.“Before I do night shopping a lot. But with the present state of the country people are looking for ways to increase patronage and profit at the same time.

“If you are not careful you buy expired, decayed or adulterated foods at night buying.

“I had to stop to avoid being a victim to such menace.”