Homes, Restaurants Endanger Lives With ‘Rotten’ Tomatoes

The consumption of rotten tomatoes across the country has been on the increase despite medical experts warning of potential serious health problems.

Throughout the country, consumers and food vendors deliberately buy tomatoes that have deteriorated, which are sold at significantly lower or give-away prices.

Weekend Trust discovered that consumers intentionally visit markets during late hours to purchase these vegetables at lower prices from distressed vendors who are struggling due to heat-induced tomato spoilage.

Tomatoes that have gone bad are often graded into two groups: those with only minor damage and those that are almost entirely spoiled. Consumers prefer the latter option because it is very cheap, especially when one is purchasing in bulk.

Roadside food vendors and some small restaurants frequently opt for these tomatoes.

Our correspondents across the country exposed the scale of the patronage and spoke with experts, who warned of a major health disaster if the practice continues.

In Lagos State, our correspondent reports that the practice is prevalent in Mile 12 market, which remains one of Lagos’ largest food markets and serves as a major distribution hub for pepper, tomatoes and onions across Nigeria and parts of West Africa.

Last week, a viral video online showed two women allegedly caught attempting to grind spoiled pepper infested with maggots at the market.

Following the incident, the Lagos State Government issued a public advisory warning to residents against consuming spoiled or fungus-infested tomatoes, citing serious health risks associated with such products.

The rise of rotten tomatoes 

In Lagos and other parts of the South-West, damaged or rotten pepper and tomatoes are commonly called “esa.”

Like other perishables, tomatoes and pepper suffer significant post-harvest losses, one of the major crises confronting Nigeria’s agricultural sector. According to the Organisation for Technology Advancement of Cold Chain in West Africa (OTACCWA), these losses are valued at a staggering N3.5 trillion annually.

Post-harvest losses are caused by several factors, including inadequate storage facilities, poor transportation systems, insufficient access to modern preservation technologies and the absence of functional cold-chain infrastructure.

Without proper refrigeration and temperature-controlled systems, perishable goods, such as fruits and vegetables rapidly spoil, become contaminated and lose nutritional value.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that some tomatoes and peppers trapped in post-harvest losses eventually become damaged and rotten products, known locally as “esa” in many parts of Yorubaland, including Lagos.

In the past, such produce was discarded as waste or sold cheaply to the poorest households. However, worsening economic hardship and skyrocketing tomato prices are reportedly forcing more people to embrace “esa.”

Apart from low-income households, some street food vendors are also caught in the cycle, using spoiled or fungus-infested tomatoes to prepare stew and soup for customers despite the public health risks involved.

Cost of good tomatoes a factor

Some customers and food vendors who spoke with Weekend Trust blamed the rising cost of tomatoes and pepper for the increasing patronage of rotten produce.

It was gathered that a 50kg basket of tomatoes, which cost between N35,000 and N40,000 last month, is now between N115,000 and N125,000.

In some areas, a small basket of tomatoes that sold N2,000 a month ago now costs as much as N6,000.

Those who spoke with our correspondent said many vendors now buy damaged tomatoes to cut cost.

“Yes, people buy it. We see them in the market. People who hawk food especially use it. But I don’t use it,” said a eatery owner, Mrs Desola Adelabi.

Mrs. Adelabi added: “When pepper and tomatoes become expensive, the price of esa also increases. It comes in different grades.”

She, however, expressed concern about the health implications of using spoiled produce in cooking.

“Esa is not good or healthy. It gives food a bad taste. Customers may not come back once they realize that rotten pepper was used in preparing the food.

“If you come here and eat stew with a bad taste, would you return?” she asked.

At Yaba market, Opeyemi Kareem explained:

“There are different grades of tomatoes – the good ones and the second-grade ones, which the Yoruba call esa.

“The fresh ones are expensive. Twenty pieces cost N5,000 in Yaba. In places like Lekki and other highbrow areas, it may cost even more.”

According to her, “esa” is not always completely rotten.

“They are tomatoes that have burst open and absorbed water, so they cannot be sold at full price.

“For food sellers, it is an opportunity because they will blend it with pepper. But health-wise, I don’t think it is safe if it is already spoilt,” she said.

A mother of four who identified herself as Mrs Oba also confirmed that many people buy rotten tomatoes because they are cheaper.

“Tomatoes and pepper are expensive now, but even before this, many people bought the rotten ones because they were cheaper.

“Yesterday, I bought some and they were very expensive. A bucket of fresh tomatoes now sells between N7,000 and N8,000, while a bucket of pepper costs between N10,000 and N11,000,” she noted.

Endemic situation in Abuja

As the price of tomatoes continues to soar, some Abuja residents, especially low-income earners, have resorted to buying spoiled products, popularly known as “baje,” for cooking.

Weekend Trust reports that the prices of tomatoes and pepper usually rise at the onset of the rainy season as supplies from dry-season farming begin to diminish.

In Abuja, consumers and restaurant operators spoken to said they patronised rotten tomatoes due to the high cost of fresh ones, which they described as beyond the reach of many households.

Some consumers who spoke with our reporter at the Kwali market on Thursday said that even the ‘baje’ tomatoes have become expensive because of increasing demand and scarcity.

Mrs Alice Tukura, who operates a restaurant in Sheda community, said she used to buy a basket of fresh tomatoes at N33,000 a few months ago to prepare stew, but the price has now risen to N130,000 and N160,000.

According to her, the soaring cost forced her to switch to spoilt tomatoes, commonly known as ‘baje’, adding that she now buys half a basket of spoiled tomatoes at N62,000.

She explained that before the hike, she used to mix fresh and spoiled tomatoes while preparing stew, but now relies mostly on spoiled tomatoes because of affordability.

“Unlike late last year when I bought a basket of fresh tomatoes at N33,000, the price suddenly became too high about four months ago. That was when I decided to start patronising spoilt tomatoes.

“The way I wash, grind and prepare the stew, you may not even know that it is spoilt tomatoes. My customers still enjoy the food,” she added.

A housewife, Mrs Hauwa Mohammed, also said she had no option but to resort to bad tomatoes because she could no longer afford fresh ones.

She lamented that even spoilt tomatoes are gradually becoming unaffordable for low-income earners.

“A small paint rubber of spoiled tomatoes I just bought is N3,000, unlike last year when I used to buy the same quantity at N1,200,” she said.

Although she admitted that fresh tomatoes gave better taste and aroma, she said economic hardship had left many families with limited choices.

“I prefer fresh tomatoes because of the taste and aroma, but I have no option now than to buy the spoilt ones,” she said.

Another restaurant operator in Kwali, Mrs Chidinma Okolo, said she now mixed fresh and spoilt tomatoes together to reduce cost.

“What I normally do now is buy half a basket of fresh tomatoes and half a basket of spoilt ones. I wash them thoroughly, mix and grind them together before cooking stew.

“If you taste the stew you will think it was prepared with only fresh tomatoes,” she said.

A tomato seller at Kwali market, Malam Rabiu Garba, attributed the high cost of tomatoes to scarcity, seasonal changes and transportation challenges.

He said a small rubber container of tomatoes now sells at N1,000 while the smallest plate goes for N500, a medium-sized plate is N1,500 and a paint container costs N5,000.

According to him, many consumers and restaurant operators now prefer spoiled tomatoes because they are relatively cheaper than fresh ones.

Garba said he bought a basket of tomatoes from Zaria in Kaduna State between N130,000 and N160,000, making it difficult for traders to keep prices low.

“Even spoilt tomatoes are no longer readily available because of the high cost of fresh ones in markets where we buy them, especially in Zaria and sometimes Rijana in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State,” he said.

He also blamed the rising transportation cost for the continuous increase in tomato prices.

“Not everybody can afford to travel to Zaria to buy tomatoes at N160,000 per basket and still pay transportation cost. Even buying from Dei-Dei or Zuba is expensive because of transport fares. That is why some traders have stopped selling tomatoes altogether,” he explained.

Speaking on the development, a tomato trader at the Abuja Main Vegetable Market in Dei-Dei, Nura Abubakar, said the price of fresh tomatoes and pepper had increased sharply in recent weeks.

According to him, a small basket of fresh shombo pepper that sold at N2,000 two months ago now goes for as much as N8,000, while spoilt ones cost N5,000.

He said restaurant operators were among the major buyers of damaged tomatoes and peppers because they are relatively cheaper.

One of the buyers, Habiba Musa, said she could no longer afford fresh tomatoes and had resorted to spoilt ones, which she claimed tasted better than dried tomatoes.

“The damaged tomatoes are more economical because they no longer contain much water and are more concentrated. They take less time to fry, compared to fresh ones,” she said.

Aliyu Malami is a vegetable trader at the Kubwa main market, in Abuja, who doubles as a grinding machine operator. He was seen with two baskets of fresh tomatoes, along with two plastic containers that he keeps the damaged one inside.

He said he was not directly buying the damaged one from their supplying market at Dei-Dei, but rather sorting it out from the fresh tomato baskets he bought. “This morning, I went to our main market at Dei-Dei and bought two baskets of fresh tomatoes, which cost me N80,000.

“On arriving back, I sorted damaged tomatoes from the two baskets and kept them inside two plastic containers. I have customers that need only fresh tomatoes and those that look for the ‘baje.”, he said.

Kano

Despite being a production hub for tomatoes and other vegetables, consumers still buy bad tomatoes.

At the bustling Yankaba perishables market in Kano, our correspondent reports that baskets of fresh red tomatoes sit side by side with piles of semi-rotten ones. While many customers head straight for the fresh produce, a surprising number of buyers crowd around the cheaper, damaged tomatoes, haggling prices that are often half or less of what fresh ones cost.

For Aisha Musa, a mother of five, buying rotten tomatoes is not a matter of choice but survival.

“A small basket of fresh tomatoes is now around N4,000 and I cannot afford that. With N1,500, I can buy rotten ones and still cook stew for my children,” she told Weekend Trust.

She admitted knowing the health risks but insisted that boiling them makes them safe.

“We don’t enjoy it as much as fresh ones, but at least, it fills the stomach. We know it is not good, but what can we do? If the government wants us to stop, they should make food cheaper,” she added.

Food vendors are among the biggest patrons of rotten tomatoes. Ibrahim Ali, who runs a roadside food stall in Kano, explained that using rotten tomatoes helps him keep his meals affordable.

“If I buy fresh tomatoes I will have to increase the price of food and customers will complain. With rotten tomatoes, I can still sell rice and stew at N500 per plate and make profit,” he said.

According to him, a basket of rotten tomatoes yields almost the same quantity of stew as fresh ones, though the taste is slightly different.

Traders at the market also defend the practice. Musa Garba, a tomato seller, said rotten tomatoes were unavoidable because of poor storage and transportation.

“By the time tomatoes travel from other states to Kano, many get damaged. Instead of throwing them away, we sell them cheaper”, hes aid.

Benue consumers defend choice 

In Benue State, many residents prefer buying broken (spoilt) tomatoes in the market because they are cheaper and often sold in larger quantities.

A housewife, Victoria Sesugh, said she deliberately looked out for tomatoes that are not very fresh because they are affordable and sufficient for her cooking needs.

“I don’t buy rotten tomatoes, but the ones that are not very fresh or slightly broken, probably due to damage during transportation. I don’t see anything wrong with them; and they are still healthy,” she said.

For Becky Gideon, another buyer of broken fresh tomatoes, the preference is mainly due to cost and quantity.

“It is cheaper and the quantity is much. It is good for stew. As long as it is still fresh, it is okay, except when it stays more than a day or two and turns sour, then you need more ingredients to improve the taste,” she said.

Similarly, Rita Idoko, a roadside food vendor along the David Mark Bypass, said broken tomatoes often tasted better than the firmer ones.

“Most roadside food vendors use them. They usually book them with sellers because they cook in large quantities, and it is cheaper for them. We can also add tinned tomatoes.

“It is far better than tinned tomatoes and tastes sweeter when still fresh. At least you know what you are eating, unlike canned tomatoes where you cannot tell exactly what is inside.

“As far as I am concerned, none of my customers has ever complained of becoming unwell because of the tomatoes I use. They are healthy and nutritious,” she added.

‘Consumers risk food poisoning, liver damage, others’

Medical experts have warned against the use of spoilt tomatoes in cooking, saying the practice could expose consumers to serious health complications, including food poisoning, stomach infections and long term organ damage.

Speaking with Weekend Trust, Dr Folarin Ogundele, a clinical nutritionist, explained that once tomatoes begin to rot, harmful microorganisms rapidly multiply, making them unsafe for human consumption, even when cooked.

He said, “Many people believe that once the visibly rotten part is removed, the remaining portion is safe to cook. That is a dangerous assumption. Spoiled tomatoes may contain bacteria, molds and toxins that spread beyond the visibly affected area.”

He noted that fungi growing on spoilt vegetables can produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins, which may not be completely destroyed by heat during cooking.

“When tomatoes spoil, they lose essential nutrients such as vitamin C and antioxidants. Instead of nourishing the body, they may begin to introduce harmful substances into the system. Frequentconsumption of contaminated foods can weaken immunity and increase vulnerability to illness,” he said.

The nutritionist advised consumers to properly preserve fresh tomatoes by refrigerating them or storing them in dry, ventilated spaces to reduce spoilage.

Also speaking, Jeremiah Atah, a medical doctor, warned that eating meals prepared with spoilt tomatoes could trigger severe gastrointestinal problems.

“Spoilt tomatoes can harbour dangerous bacteria, such as salmonella and E. coli. These organisms can cause vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever and dehydration. In severe cases, especially among children, pregnant women and the elderly, food poisoning can become life-threatening,” he said.

Atah stressed that some toxins produced by molds may remain active despite cooking temperatures.

“People often assume that boiling or frying destroys every harmful substance in spoiled food. Unfortunately, sometoxins survive heat and may continue to affect the liver, kidneys or digestive tract over time,” he explained.

He further cautioned against buying overly soft or damaged tomatoes from markets simply because they are cheaper.

“The money saved is not worth the health risk,”he said. (Daily trust)