Just recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) warned Nigerians against consuming Pure Tassie organic apple and black currant imported from Australia. These products, the agency noted, have been certified harmful for human consumption.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed that the products contain patulin, a reason for which the “Centre for Food Safety of Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, has as well warned its people against the consumption of Pure Tassie apple and Black-currant Juice originating from Australia.
From every indication, the emphasis on Australia leaves the public wondering if the embargo on the consumption of these products has anything to do with their country of origin. But that is rather far from being true, the level of patulin (a mycotoxin) which had exceeded the maximum limit in fruit juice, according to the NAFDAC boss, remains the underlining factor.
‘Patulin’, according to wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia, is a cyclic ã-lactone mycotoxin found in fruits, particularly moldy apples and apple juice. It is a small, water-soluble polar compound that is absorbed quickly, metabolised, and excreted in urine.
Thus, patulin must be considered a potential health hazard. The fact that patulin can be produced by a number of penicillia at refrigeration temperatures should be a source of possible concern.
Adeyeye explained that the level of patulin content in the affected fruit juice can induce liver, spleen and kidney damage, adding that the toxic level can affect the immune system and cause nausea, gastro-intestinal disturbance and vomiting.
She further implored importers, distributors, retailers and consumers to immediately stop the importation, distribution, sale and consumption of the affected fruit juice, while calling on members of the public who are in possession of the affected fruit juice to submit their stock to the nearest NAFDAC office.
The NAFDAC boss also urged healthcare professionals and consumers to report adverse or side effects related to the consumption of the product to the nearest NAFDAC office. But what does this warning and embargo on apple consumption mean to the common man in the street?
Patulin contamination in apple products has been a worldwide problem without a satisfactory solution yet. This explains why Science Direct, an online portal for scientific, technical, and medical research, noted that patulin is of some public health concern because of its potential carcinogenic properties and because it has been found in commercial apple juice and other apple products.
Its acute symptoms in animals include lung and brain oedema, liver, spleen and kidney damage, and toxicity to the immune system. For humans, nausea, gastro-intestinal disturbances, and vomiting have been reported.
Apple is one of the most popular fruits eaten by many people around the world. Apart from savouring the pleasure of eating fruits, apple has some inherent health benefits that make its comsumption imperative. It is highly nutritious, good for weight loss and most times may be good for the heart.
Studies have shown that substances in apple may well help prevent cancer in addition to the posession of compounds that can help fight asthma.
Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist, once wrote that this round and juicy fruit, is prominent for its fiber and vitamin C content, low in calories, having only a trace of sodium, without fat or cholesterol. She adds that “apples are high in polyphenols, which function as antioxidants,”
Apple’s antioxidant property prevents cell and tissue damage. Studies by nutritionists have shown that apples contain abundant amounts of elastin and collagen that help keep the skin young.
However, underneath all these highlighted attributes of this wonderful nature’s creation, research still reveals that they contain both high levels of sugar as do grapes and cyanide, in their pips. Besides, eating an apple a day can actually affect your teeth and cause erosion.
According to studies, this sugar, also known as ‘Amygdalin’ and cyanide compound, if ingested in small amounts, could well be easy to deal with, but is capable of causing death.
Moreso, if eaten at night or in the evening, this pro-digestive fruit can be counter-productive by loading on the intestinal functions. This is to say that apples at night will produce gas and make for severe discomfort during the wee hours.
While the consumption of apple may not be outrightly condemned, its over saturation with patulin, must not be treated with levity. A natural food contaminant most often associated with fruits and fruit-based products, patulin is mutagenic, genotoxic, immunotoxic, and neurotoxic.
Therefore, it can be responsible for acute effects including nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal issues. It can affect a developing fetus, the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract. This is why the NAFDAC warning must be treated as an executive order.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi