WHAT EXACTLY IS PONMO(canda) ?
Cow hide/skin, popularly known as
ponmo, is basically cow skin that has
been processed to look similar to beef.
There are two (known) varieties of
ponmo. This classification is based on
their mode of preparation and colour.
One is usually white/cream/off-white
in colour, while the other is brown.
In the white/cream variety, the hide is
removed from the skin by soaking in
boiling water, and then using blade to
shave off the hair; while in the brown
variety, the hide and skin are subjected
to a high level of heat, so as to burn out
the hide (fur). After this process, the
skin is then washed several times and
then boiled for hours so as to ensure
that it is softened.
The skin is then sold in our markets as
ponmo – a great delicacy and an
important ingredient in the preparation
of several stews in various cultures in
Nigeria.
Most Nigerians love ponmo so much that
some believe a good day meal is
incomplete without it. Ponmo is a regular
sight at parties and several public
outings, served in different formats.
NUTRITIONAL BENEFIT OF PONMO
Despite the taste appeal ponmo delivers
to your taste buds, it would be quite
shocking for some of you to know that
ponmo contains little next to nothing in
terms of nutritional value.
The nutritional analysis of a 40 gram
piece of ponmo is:
Calories (150g); Total fat (4g);
Saturated fat (1g); Poly saturated fat
(0g); Mono saturated fat (0g); Trans
fat (0g); Cholesterol (0g); Sodium
(0mg); Potassium (0mg); Total
carbohydrate (0g);
Dietary fibre (0g); Sugars (0 per cent);
Proteins (0 per cent); Vitamin A (0 per
cent); Vitamin C (0 per cent); Calcium
(0 per cent); Iron (0 per cent).
From the above, you need no telling that
the consumption of ponmo gives nothing
to your body. So, why are we so
addicted to this piece of leather.
POSSIBLE DANGER TO HEALTH
According to a post on Punch, the
Director-General of the Nigerian
Institute of Leather Science and
Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, Dr.
Isuwa Adamu, on Tuesday warned
against the consumption of animal hides
and skin, known locally as ponmo. He
said: "it is not advisable for you to
consume ponmo in the sense that some
of the animals killed and used for
ponmo actually have skin diseases. Some
of these skin diseases are such that
boiling them ordinarily may not kill the
bacteria,’’.
He added that some of the animals
killed had been ill and undergoing
injections but the rearers went ahead to
kill them, leaving the buyers vulnerable
to chemicals in the animal skin.
The DG also added, “Some of the
animals because of the ailments that
they have gone through are sometimes
treated by way of injection with
chemicals. People don’t allow these
chemicals to complete its cycle and be
removed from the body; they sometimes
go ahead to kill these animals.
“So, if you consume the ponmo, the
tendency is that you are consuming the
chemicals directly because the skin part
of the animal retains most of the
harmful substances.
In addition to this, during the
production process of ponmo, the hides
and skin are usually subjected to naked
flames so as to enable the hides to burn
off the skin. During the burning process,
a lot of different unhygienic substances
such as trash, wood, charcoal, rubber
tires and so on, are thrown into the
furnace to sustain the blazing heat.
As the furnace burns, the combusting
wood, gas, or charcoal emits chemicals
known as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), which finds its
way into the smoked food and
contaminates it.
Exposure to PAHs is known to cause skin,
liver, stomach and several other types of
cancers in laboratory animals. In
addition to this, epidemiological studies
have found a positive statistical
correlation between intestinal tract
cancer and frequent intake of smoked
food. These studies have also linked
occupational exposure to PAHs to cancer
in humans.
Sad right?, but who cares. No one has
ever died from ponmo consumption, no
be so. But take a look at the ponmo
below, tasty right? Do you know it is
same as just a cooked italian leather
bag/shoe? Your favorite brands Lois
Vutton et al all use ponmo in
manufacturing their products. You want
your own locally made standard leather
accessories? STOP YOUR PONMO
CONSUMPTION TODAY.
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