Vendors now fry polyethylene nylon in oil to make plantain chips crispy — woman raises alarm

• A woman has raised concerns over allegations that vendors melt polyethylene into frying oil to make plantain chips crispy.

• NAFDAC launched an investigation in January 2024 after a similar allegation went viral.

• Lagos consumer protection authorities also warned residents about potentially unsafe plantain chips.

• Ghana launched a similar investigation in March 2026, but its FDA later said it had found no evidence supporting the claims.

A woman has raised concerns over the alleged practice of melting polyethylene, commonly known as nylon or polythene in Nigeria, into hot cooking oil to make plantain chips crispy, bringing renewed attention to food safety concerns that previously prompted an investigation by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The allegation involves vendors allegedly adding pieces of polyethylene to hot oil before frying sliced plantains, supposedly to make the chips harder, crunchier and less likely to break.

The claim is not entirely new in Nigeria. In January 2024, a social media post alleging that a plantain chips seller melted pieces of polythene into frying oil went viral, prompting warnings from consumer protection authorities and an investigation by NAFDAC.

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According to the account that circulated online at the time, the person who made the allegation claimed to have witnessed a woman add approximately five pieces of white polythene, locally called 'olonka rubber', into hot vegetable oil before grating plantains into it.

The alleged seller reportedly explained that the practice helped make the chips firm enough not to break easily.

The post triggered widespread reactions, with consumers expressing concerns about the safety of plantain chips sold by roadside vendors and other food businesses.