The Ogun State Government has warned residents to be
on the lookout for poisonous “ponmo”, a popular delicacy made from the
hide and skin of cattle.
The government, speaking through the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ronke Sokefun,
gave the warning on Thursday, November 5, 2015, in Abeokuta, the state
capital, during a meeting with stakeholders and ponmo sellers.
Sokefun
noted that some persons in the state had decided to take advantage of
the high demand for the product to sell an industrial variety which had
been contaminated with tanning chemicals.
“Tanning
chemicals like biocides and fungicides are added along the processing
chain to preserve the hides against protein degradation, bacteria and
mould growth that would have damaged the hides and skin,” she said.
She
said further that the poisonous ponmo popularly known as “imported
ponmo” is often brownish black, foul smelling, abnormally thick with
layers and ridiculously cheap compared to the normal type.
The
Federal Government had attracted outrage in 2014 when it was reported
that plans were being made to ban the sale and consumption of ponmo.
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