The Lagos State Government says it will enforce standards in the sales of fruits and vegetables, to guarantee the health and safety of consumers in the state. Mr Divine Dunkwu, the Head of the Public Affairs, State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), stated this last Saturday in Lagos.
Dunkwu said the agency had initiated a project to ensure that handling, packaging and display of vegetables and fruits are done to acceptable standards. LASCOPA was collaborating with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the Lagos State Market Board and the Ministry of Wealth Creation, to drive the project to success.
According to Dunkwu, a team from LASCOPA will look into the packaging, handling, ripening of fruits with unhealthy substances, lack of proper storage facilities and unhygienic environments for sales and display of the products.
Mrs Kemi Olugbode, the General Manager of LASCOPA, said that the team would evolve strategies in managing the prevalent issues in the handling and marketing of fruits and vegetables. She said this was to ensure that only healthy products were sold to consumers: “A total of 24 fruits markets have been identified as the major location for the distribution of various fruits and vegetables across the state. The committee will work in consonant with the executive members of the various Fruits and Vegetables Market Associations in the state to ensure proper sensitisation and training of traders to adhere to standards.”
