Health Scare : Panadol Use as Meat Tenderizer

Tanzanians, like many other countries’  enjoy eating offals due to their rich flavor, affordability, and nutritional value. Offal dishes are often deeply rooted in traditional cuisine and are considered a delicacy. Additionally, utilizing offal helps minimize food waste and makes the most of the entire animal, aligning with sustainable practices.

While others use pawpaw leaves, vinegar, meat tenderizer and a pressure cooker to make offals-tripe soup locally known in Kiswahili as  Utumbo ,tender and soft when cooking, it has been revealed that some food vendors, in Tanzania, have resorted to using Panadol, a paracetamol-based pain reliever that is often used for medical reasons to treat headaches, pain, and fever.

Offals are said to take a long time to cook and become tender, with an approximate time of  between 45 minutes to an hour.Due to this reason, the cooks have found a quick way to get the job done: to use panadol as an ingredient.  This they confirm makes the offal tender within 30-35 minutes , nonchalantly ignoring it posing a serious health risk with potentially dangerous consequences.

35 year-old Ramadani , who confesses his undying love and total addiction to offal-trip soup, says no amount of investigations  conducted on his favorite delicacy will in any way deter him from consuming. “Panadol or no Panadol, my own is to just have my plate full of Utumbo soup after a hard days work. I have been eating this for over two decades and i have  not seen or experience any signs or discomfort for medical check-up”

Dr. Yonah Mwalwisi Director of Drug Control of the Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA)   says using panadol as an ingredient when cooking has adverse effects. “When pain relievers are abused, they can damage the kidney.  He cautions those  who use pain relievers continuously daily to desist, as it will eventually have adverse effect on their kidney .

45 year-old  mother of 4,Fausta Leonard ,is however skeptical about patronizing  her then favorite offal -trip soup after hearing panadol is now an inclusive ingredients. ” I have for several years been feeding my family with this offal -tripe soup which i buy at a popular joint. My kids enjoy it more with ugali, after hearing this i doubt if i can keep eating and feeding my family with utumbo soup . Perhaps i will start preparing it myself at home although it consumes much time in cooking.”

Eating offal can provide various health benefits, as it is rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and protein. Offal can be a good source of iron, vitamin B12, and other important nutrients that support overall health. However, it’s important to ensure that offal is sourced from healthy animals and prepared safely to avoid any potential health risks.

Rather than using Panadol, many have suggested a much better way of cooking healthy and delicious offals. That is using low and slow cooking methods such as braising, stewing, or slow roasting when cooking .These methods help break down the tough fibers in offal and make it more tender and flavorful. Additionally, marinating the offal in an acidic marinade before cooking can also help tenderize it.