Health Hazard: Fruit Vendors Use Laundry Detergents to Make Produce Shine

Fruit vendors at open-air markets are reportedly washing watermelons, bananas, mangoes, citrus fruits and apples with laundry detergents or liquid soaps to make them look shiny and reduce spoilage. An anonymous vendor says the practice attracts customers, while seller Audu Musa says he prefers to display his fruit without detergent. The article reports that some produce is displayed without rinsing off the detergent and says health and food-safety professionals are concerned about the risks posed by household chemicals.