Scientists said; consumption of ponmo is dangerous.

The Director General of the Nigerian
Institute of Leather Science &
Technology (NILEST), Zaria, Dr Isuwa
Adamu, has said that consumption
of animal hides and skin, popularly
known as Ponmo is dangerous to
human health. Speaking to the News
Agency of Nigeria, NAN, today in
Abuja, Adamu said scientific research
has shown that ponmo doesn't have
any nutritional value to human
health and that some of the animals
where ponmo is gotten from are
usually sick & harbor dangerous
chemicals.

"In fact, 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. 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. Remember
your skin is the major protective
organ of your body and your
skin harbours so many of the
harmful things that are
supposed to penetrate into your
body,” he explained.

He advised the Federal government
to put in place policies that would
reduce the consumption of Ponmo
in Nigeria.