Grains of sand in Nigerian locally processed foods

Most Nigerians are accustom to various techniques utilized for separating small stone particles from locally produced grains such as rice or beans. Biting stones while eating rice is common experience to a typical Nigerian because of the large size of the stones and the teeth-cracking painful shock whenever stones are bitten while eating rice or beans. What really is the cause of the presence of stones in Nigerian made rice. Locally produced grains are dried on rocks during processing and the stones are small fragments from the rocks. Patiently selecting grains of rice on a flat used to be the most common method of separating stones from rice. 

The amount of rocky materials in locally produced grains are mild when compared to locally processed foods such as grounded pepper, Akamu, Amala, fufu, starch, and Garri. Nigerians consume a lot of sand particles while eating these food items that processed in the backyards of private residences without inspection from any governmental agency. People without training of food handling or proper hygiene can process these food items locally using crude technics.

If anyone is interested in investigate the amount of sand in grounded pepper in order to know how much sand he's been consuming, simply buy grounded pepper from the market, dissolve it in a bowl of large quantity of water, shake the bowls, and pour out the water gently. You will find unimaginable large amount of residual grains of sand sediment. Buy Akamu or starch from the market, dissolve it a bowl of water, shake the bowl and pour out the the liquid. You will find similar result.

After carrying out these experiments, people will be surprised by the amount of sand particles in the food items they have been buying from road-side sellers.