Abu Dhabi denies social media rumours about poisonous bananas

Abu Dhabi: A widely circulated video that depicts alleged poisonous worms in Somali bananas is false and misleading, the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (Adafsa) has said in a statement.

The authority has urged residents not to fall prey to inaccurate information shared without verification on social media.

False claims

According to the Adafsa, the video falsely deems Somali bananas as poisonous by claiming that they contain a worm called helicobacter. In fact, helicobacter is a type of bacteria found in the human stomach, the Adafsa clarified. It is also not common, as shown in the video, for a worm to complete its entire life cycle inside a fruit.

Rigorous safety checks

Dr Mohammed Al Hammadi, director of communication and community services at Adafsa, stressed that that authority verifies the safety of all food products made available in the emirate, including of imported and local fruits and vegetables. Safety checks include regular inspections, laboratory examinations, a complaint system, and protocols to follow up on global developments that affect food products and crops. In case any items are found to be unsafe, Adafsa quickly takes action to withdraw them from the shelves.

Report concerns

Dr Al Hammadi called upon residents not to circulate rumours regarding food products without first verifying them, and urged residents to reach out to Adafsa with any complaints on concerns about food items in the emirate.