Dr Salami Akorede, the Director, Dietetics Department of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex(OAUTHC), has warmed cow skin processors against abnormality in mode of processing.
Akorede said that if the cow skin that turns to ponmo is burnt beyond normal in some area where they consume Ponmo, it can cause cancer.
"But where it's well process, people benefit more from it, because Ponmo is derived from cow skin and a lot of nutrients, protein, water, energy and micronutrients that contains fiber which aiding digestion were embedded in it.
"In processing Ponmo, they should regulate the exposure to raw fire so as to minimise the formation of nitrate and it should be thoroughly washed and well preserved.
According to him, Ponmo could also served as alternative to meet in an economic situation that Nigerians found themselves, for its very cheap and many people could afford the price.
The dietician admonished masses to ensure that they take Ponmo along other protein like: meat, fish, Cray fish and soya meat to compliments the protein supply.
He called on National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control(NAFDAC), to regulate mode of processing Ponmo rather than Federal Government to ban the consumption.
Akorede charged the regulatory body to educate the processors on the way they should expose the skin to raw fire, saying that abnormality in exposure may leads to increase nitrate formation that has found to be casinogenic.
He urged Federal Government to organise a kind of poverty alleviation programme and reduce the taxes on consumption of fish and chicken.
"More people should be encouraged to venture into animal husbandry to reduce intake of ponmo"he counselled.
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