For some time now, ripe plantain on the markets in our metropolises have been plantain that are artificially induced to appear ripe. The horrible part is that these plantains are made available to consumers without their knowledge.

In fact, when these ripe plantains are purchased on the market, it does not seem as though they are not good. But immediately they are taken home and peeled, you get to know that it was not as ripe as the colour depicts.

Worse still, it is hard and is really not what is expected in terms of color considering texture and taste. On a more serious note, these plantains which have been artificially ripened with chemicals poses a serious danger to health.

According to experts, the chemical used by these traders is "Mat" which replaced "Ethrel" in the phyto-sanitary markets. The active ingredient in this product is the Ethephon. This product is used in fields and has a toxic effect on the product.

When using this product to ripen plantain, there is misuse of the product, which is outlawed by the phytosanitary legislation because it poses a real danger to the health of consumers especially to those who love the fries.