How to Spot Spoiled Food at the Market: A Practical Guide for Nigerian Shoppers

By Helen Ohunene Otailku, B.Sc. Ed, Health Education, Freelance Health Writer. Medically reviewed by A. Odutola. MBBS, PhD.

August 28. 2026

A food-safety infographic for Nigerian shoppers showing a woman examining produce, five spoilage-sign icons (tomato, fish, vegetables, meat, and cheese), and quick tips: look closely, use your senses, ask questions, buy fresh. Photo Credit: ChatGPT. Click on image to enlaege.

Highlights

• Nigerian shoppers need to have a look, feel and smell of the food they want to buy to determine whether it is safe for consumption. 

• According to WHO, 137,000 people die every year from food-related diseases in Africa.

• Identifying uncontaminated food in the market is a food safety measure to reduce the chances of contacting foodborne diseases spread from spoiled food.

Introduction

A measure to ensure food safety, is being able to spot spoiled food. Approximately, 91 million cases of foodborne illnesses and 137,000 Africans die every year as recorded by the World Health Organization; with infants from age of 0 to 5 years old experiencing the greatest risk.

Spoiled food usually goes unnoticed as one of the leading causes of illnesses. It could be in the form of soft looking pepper, tomatoes or onions or that swollen canned milk that the vendor convinces people to buy. 

Before food enters the cooking pot, a shopper's eyes, nose and hand can be a first line of defense in spotting visibly spoiled food at the market. The buyer can see, smell, and feel any unusual food he/she is about to buy and desist from it.

In the interest of health and food safety, this guide provides you with practical ways to spot spoiled fish/meat, fruits/vegetables, flour/legumes/grains, milk/eggs and packaged or canned goods at Nigeria markets.

A Practical Guide for Spotting Spoiled Food

Meat and Fish

An educational collage centering on meat and fish freshness, featuring a butcher holding a knife and tray of raw protein, surrounded by four corner images labeled with freshness criteria: colour, smell, texture, and cold chain issues. Photo Credit: Canva. Click on image to enlarge.

Meat and fish spoil faster than most other food types, and these animal proteins usually lack safe cold storage. They are rather left openly in the market. Extra caution should be taken to spot signs of spoilage when shopping. You should look out for:

• Cold Chain Issues: Buy from shops that keep these animal proteins covered or stored in cold and transparent devices or in cold rooms. After purchasing, refrigerate them promptly and cook them well. Don't depend on cooking to make spoiled food become safe to eat.

• Colour: Spoiled meat or fish may look brown, grey, or dull. Fresh meat is bright cherry-red to deep red, while fresh fish has pink or red gills and clear eyes.

• Texture: Stickiness, sliminess, or a soft feel are signs that they are spoiled. The fresh ones look firm and spring back when pressed.

• Smell: A sour or unusually strong odour is a warning sign. Fresh ones have a clean and mild scent.

Vegetables and Fruits

A central image of a smiling woman holding fresh produce is surrounded by four corner images illustrating common signs of food spoilage: mould, smell, texture, and discoloration. Photo Credit: Canva. Click on imahe to enlarge.

When it comes to vegetables and fruits, visual signs are most times a sure way to spot spoilage.

As a Nigerian shopper, here are five practical guides:

• Smell: A sour odour is a sign of spoilage, especially in leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, or ugwu, and soft fruits like pawpaw, mangoes, or strawberries.
• Texture: A watery, soft, or mushy feel of tomatoes, onions, peppers, or fruits is a sign that they have spoiled, even when the surface looks unbroken.
• Discoloration: An unusual colour other than the normal skin colour suggests that the food is not fresh.
• Mould: Mould can spread unseen inside the food. Look out for any black, white, grey, or green patches on the surface of fruits and vegetables.

Grains, Flour and Legumes 

A split-screen image comparing grain sourcing and storage in a market setting. On the left (Sourcing), a woman inspects raw rice grains from a burlap sack. On the right (Storage), open and stacked sacks of rice, maize, and groundnuts fill a well-stocked grain warehouse with price signs attached. Photo Credit: Canva. Click on image to enlarge.

Flour, beans, groundnuts, and maize carry hidden risks before they reach the market known as Aflatoxin, a toxin produced by moulds that can develop in grains due to poor storage (2, 3).

Aflatoxin cannot be spotted with the human eye if the effect on the produce is small. A reliable prevention guide is careful sourcing and proper storage.  

Carefully look for vendors who store their grains off the ground, inside dry containers. To source properly stored flour, legumes, and grains, look out for the following:

• Pest Infestation: Live insects (weevils), larvae, or a high number of bored grains point to poor storage.
• Moisture: Wet grains or lumpy flour may have been exposed to moisture, creating conditions where moulds thrive. This also points to poor storage.
• Mould and Discolouration: Black, white, or yellow-green patches on grains, beans, or flour, or a musty smell, should be treated as warning signs of fungal contamination. However, grain and legume contamination (aflatoxin) may not always be visible to the human eye.

Milk and Eggs 

A collage featuring a central, smiling Black woman farmer holding fresh eggs and milk, framed by four distinct educational categories related to food storage: preservation, egg quality, powdered milk smell, and milk packaging. Photo Credit: Canva. Click on image to enlarge.

In accordance with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), shoppers should focus on buying eggs that are well preserved. That is clean and refrigerated eggs (4).

Look at the egg’s shell and smell. Any cracks, powdery substance, or sulphurous smell are signs that it is spoiled.

Spoiled milk smells bad; it gives off a sour (tangy) smell, even before the milk visibly curdles. Fresh milk, on the other hand, is mildly sweet and has a clean smell.

Check the expiry date on the milk package to see if it has passed and avoid use. Follow the manufacturer's guide and ensure the milk seal is not broken.

Canned and Packaged Goods

An educational infographic centered on "Canned & Packaged Foods" with a yellow circle title. Four surrounding corners highlight quality checks: Expiry Dates (printed date on a can), Bulging cans (swollen, old tin cans), Seal Integrity (a torn paper label and open can), and Smell & Colour (a man pinching his nose in disgust).  Photo Credit: Canva. Click on image to enlarge.

Expiry dates on the surface of the can or packaged food should be up-to-date. Avoid goods with missing, faded, or changed date stamps.

Swollen, leaking or badly damaged cans may contain gas from bacterial activity and should not be tested.

Broken seals, punctured cans, or torn packages should not be bought, as they are signs of possible spoilage.

A bad smell and unusual colour when a can or package is opened signals a warning sign.

General Market Shopping Tips

Having said all and done, a general rule every Nigerian shopper should be aware of includes:

• Timing                                                                                                                       

Buy from shops that have been freshly stocked, as goods have less exposure to heat and air.

• Visual Cues

Buy from food vendors who always keep their shops clean, cover foods to protect them from flies and dust, and handle food items with clean hands and utensils.

• Separate Food Items

Keep raw food separate from ready-to-eat food items, such as bread and fruit, when shopping.

• Store Food Properly                                                                                              

After buying, cook or store raw foods like fish, meat, or anything that can spoil easily in the refrigerator. Keep grains and flour inside closed containers at home.

Conclusion 

Spotting spoiled food in the market by using your eyes, nose and hands as a means to see, smell and feel them acts as a defense against bringing unsafe food into the home; thereby causing illnesses. 

Looking out for changes in the colour and texture of food items, and the mode of storage and expiry date of food are some practical ways to spot spoiled food in the market. Also, ensure that you preserve each food type properly and cook well. 

Being able to spot safe food as you shop helps to protect yourself and family from foodborne diseases associated with spoiled food consumption.

Resources:

1. World Health Organization. RegionalOffice for Africa.  Food Safety. [Internet, n.d.]. Accessed August 27, 2026. Available from here. 

2. Abdurrazaq M, Tijanu MB, Atta H. Assessment of Aflatoxin Contamination in Maize and Groundnuts during Storage in Giwa Community, Kaduna State Nigeria. UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR). 2022;7(2),24-29. DOI: 10.47430/ujmr.2272.004. Available from here.

3. Akullo JO, Okello DK, Mohammed A, Muyinda R, Amayo R, Magumba D, et al. A Comprehensive Review of Aflatoxin in Groundnut and Maize Products in Africa: Prevalence, Detection and Mitigation Strategies, Journal of Food Quality, 2025, 2810946, 21 pages, 2025. Doi: 10.1155/jfq/2810946. Available from here. 

4. Abbott JC, Stewart GF. Chapter 3: Egg packaging, transport and storage [Internet]. In FAO Marketing Guide No. 4, Marketing eggs and poultry, first published in 1961. [Retrieved 27 August 2026]. Available from here.

Related:

Aflatoxin in Nigerian Food: Health Risks and Safety Tips                                                            

5 Common Foodborne Illnesses in Nigeria and How to Protect Your Family

Published:  August 28, 2026.

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