FOOD ON THE STREET AND ITS SAFETY CONCERNS
NIGERIAN ROASTED PLANTAIN ‘BOLI’
As you all know, this Nigerian roasted plantain generally referred to as ‘Boli’ in the Southwest of Nigeria is a popular meal which is eaten on-the-go. Some of us see it as a street snack. Both the rich and the poor eat it with passion. When it comes to ‘Boli’, there is no class.
And as a promoter of hygienic ‘Street vended food’, I cannot imagine life without ‘Boli’, I mean my roasted plantain.
But what about the safety concerns of its processing. I mean the direct exposure to smoke?
How can it be improved upon to make it a world class dish?
How do we ensure that Carbide are not applied by unscrupulous and evil people who use it for their evil and selfish gains, without caring about the life of others?
You know, the plantain that would have taken a week or two to ripen naturally will ripen within 48hrs. Calcium carbide CaC2 is used to easily generate low levels of ethylene gas which can hasten the (outside at least) ripening of fruits like bananas, mangoes etc. But it is also damaging to health. Regular exposure will lead to a build up that can be fatal.
We are not saying all ‘Boli’ consumed are poisonous. But given that the use of carbide by these greedy people, how do we ensure that the plantain used is not contaminated?
FoodpreneurNews is a publication of Foodpreneurs Publishing Company. It is part of our mandate at FoodpreneurNews to heighten awareness on the importance of food safety education, hygiene and sanitation and keep our people SAFE at all time.
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