A University Don and Acting Head, Department of Plant Sciences, Akwa Ibom State University, Dr. Okon G. Okon has raised alarm over quality of garri sold around markets in Ikot Abasi local government area, adding that consumers stand greater chance of having health issues.
Dr. Okon gave the revelation during the 2nd International Conference of the Faculty of Biological Sciences held at the Conference Centre of the Akwa Ibom State University permanent site, Ikot Akpaden, where he presented a paper on, “Food safety, Cyanide Exposure & Health Risk Assessment of Processed Garri Sold in Selected Markets in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.”
He noted that the total cyanide levels across all 150 garri samples ranged between 10 ppm and 100 ppm, explaining that every single sampled location exceeded or matched the internationally recommended safe limit of 10 ppm set by the FAO/WHO and Codex Alimentarius.
According to the University lecturer, Ikot Abasi LGA recorded the highest cyanide concentrations (frequently reaching 50-100 ppm), making it the most critical region for toxic exposure. He argued that Mkpat Enin LGA exhibited lower values (10-50 ppm), pointing to comparatively better though he insisted still insufficient processing techniques.
“What we observed is that garri sold in Ikot Abasi local government ranges from 50 to 100ppm which is far too high in terms of residual hydrogen cyanide content above the WHO and FAO permissible limits. Out of all the local governments that were sampled it was only Mkpat Enin that had most of the samples around 10ppm even though other ones were above 10ppm but Mkpat Enin showed better ranges of the residual hydrogen cyanide in garri sold around markets in Mkpat Enin while Eket, Esit Eket and ONNA had inconsistent results.
“The public health implications of the findings in the Akwa Ibom study highlight significant risks to community health.Because garri is a daily dietary staple, the widespread presence of elevated cyanide levels and poor market hygiene poses both acute toxicity risks and long-term, non-carcinogenic health hazards across the population.”
The University Don called for improved processing practices, enforcement of hygiene standards, and routine implementation of cyanide monitoring to protect public health.
“To safely consume garri in areas affected by high hydrogen cyanide levels, residents should prepare it with boiling water when making eba or soak and drain off the top water layer before drinking, as cyanide is heat-volatile and water-soluble.
“Additionally, re-roasting or sun-drying purchased garri helps evaporate lingering gas, while choosing well-fermented, dry, or palm-oil-processed (yellow) garri minimizes exposure caused by rushed processing.
“Maintaining a protein-rich diet including fish, meat, groundnut, eggs, or legumes is also essential, as sulfur-containing amino acids support the liver’s natural ability to detoxify low levels of cyanide.”
On what causes the issue, he identified poor processing methods, and unregulated entry of poorly processed garri into the state.
He also noted that cassava varieties used is also a factor, as, according to him, bitter cassava varieties have a higher hydrogen cyanide levels than the sweet varieties.
According to him, “expanding research across all 31 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Akwa Ibom State is essential because studying only six leaves nearly 80% of the state unmonitored, hiding potential health hotspots where processing shortcuts or bitter cassava varieties may cause even higher cyanide levels.
“Without comprehensive data, the Ministry of Health cannot effectively anticipate or prevent chronic public health issues linked to long-term cyanide exposure, such as tropical ataxic neuropathy (TAN), goiter, and neurological disorders.
“State-wide intervention enables key bodies like the Ministry of Agriculture and NAFDAC to implement systemic solutions and enforce safety standards. The Ministry of Agriculture can distribute low-cyanide cassava cultivars and train processors on proper 48-to-72-hour fermentation techniques, while NAFDAC and local health officials can inspect markets, enforce safety thresholds, and curb hazardous processing practices.”
