10-25-2025, 08:42 AM
You’ll walk into the market, pass several baskets of onions, and somehow end up picking that one covered with black powdery spots 🤌🏽
Those black patches aren’t dirt — they’re from a fungus called Aspergillus niger. Some strains of this fungus produce Ochratoxin, a dangerous toxin that can damage your kidneys.
That same fungus can also cause ear infections (otomycosis), and when inhaled, may lead to lung infections (aspergillosis) — especially in people with weak immunity such as those with diabetes, HIV, or on long-term steroid medication.
Healthy people rarely get infected, but it’s still not worth the risk.
Then you move to the next stall and spot those squashed, half-rotten tomatoes piled in one corner — the cheap ones everyone calls “Esha or Awalawa tomato” 😭🤌🏽
Unfortunately, those tomatoes are a perfect breeding ground for another fungus, Aspergillus flavus. This one produces Aflatoxins — extremely toxic substances that can damage the liver and even cause liver cancer.
Now I know what you’re thinking — “Once I cook or fry it very well, everything harmful will die.”
Sorry, but that doesn’t work. Heat can kill the fungus, yes, but not the toxins it has already released. These toxins are heat-resistant, so they remain dangerous even after cooking.
If you must buy onions, peel off the outer skin and make sure the inside is firm and not soft. If it’s soft, please throw it away.
As for the Esha tomatoes… 😅
Just leave them alone and buy fresh, firm ones instead.
Your health is worth more than a few naira saved. 🫵🏽
Those black patches aren’t dirt — they’re from a fungus called Aspergillus niger. Some strains of this fungus produce Ochratoxin, a dangerous toxin that can damage your kidneys.
That same fungus can also cause ear infections (otomycosis), and when inhaled, may lead to lung infections (aspergillosis) — especially in people with weak immunity such as those with diabetes, HIV, or on long-term steroid medication.
Healthy people rarely get infected, but it’s still not worth the risk.
Then you move to the next stall and spot those squashed, half-rotten tomatoes piled in one corner — the cheap ones everyone calls “Esha or Awalawa tomato” 😭🤌🏽
Unfortunately, those tomatoes are a perfect breeding ground for another fungus, Aspergillus flavus. This one produces Aflatoxins — extremely toxic substances that can damage the liver and even cause liver cancer.
Now I know what you’re thinking — “Once I cook or fry it very well, everything harmful will die.”
Sorry, but that doesn’t work. Heat can kill the fungus, yes, but not the toxins it has already released. These toxins are heat-resistant, so they remain dangerous even after cooking.
If you must buy onions, peel off the outer skin and make sure the inside is firm and not soft. If it’s soft, please throw it away.
As for the Esha tomatoes… 😅
Just leave them alone and buy fresh, firm ones instead.
Your health is worth more than a few naira saved. 🫵🏽