The Nigerian government has launched two important manuals on safe food handling across the food supply chain in the country.
The Minister of Health, Dr. E. Osagie Ehanire, who launched the manuals in Abuja, said that the launch was part of the National Policy on Food Safety and Implementation Strategy in Nigeria.
The training manuals are:“Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System: Principles and Techniques; and Requirements for Good Hygiene and Manufacturing Practices along the food supply chain”.
He said that it was significant that food safety stakeholders in Nigeria together developed these first-of-its-kind training manuals, which will be of great value in training farmers, food processors, marketers, and vendors on the need to ensure that food sold, marketed, and consumed is wholesome and meets national and international standards.
“This launch is taking place under the auspices of the Next-Level-Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose focus is on increasing and improving the quality of health and also non-oil exports, to support economic growth. It can therefore be among the achievements of this administration, in the health and agricultural sectors. TheMinistry of Health desires to deliver on the goals of the National Policy on Food Safety and Implementation Strategy and developed the Unified Food Safety Training Manuals, in collaboration with the National Food Safety Management Committee and stakeholders in the food supply chain sector,” Dr Ehanire said.
The minister also said that in 2010, 31 hazard-causing foodborne diseases were responsible for over 600 million illnesses and 420,000 deaths worldwide, hence the need for food safety.
“These Unified Training Manuals are designed to fill a gap in the food safety control system by providing a curriculum on the principles and techniques of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point as well as Good Hygiene and Manufacturing Practices that can be used for training food processing industry employees, farmers, traders, transporters, vendors, and retailers, on the hygienic preparation, processing, and handling of foods, to ensure that food produced in the formal and informal sectors are as safe for consumption as possible. The manuals are designed to be simple and adaptable for trainers to tailor it to the specific needs of various categories of food handlers,” he said.
Dr Ehanire also said that the Federal Government invested in the production of the manuals and will commence its dissemination and training of trainers soon.
I believe, it will ensure that basic principles of food safety reach the grassroots and: Reduce the rate of preventable food borne diseases;
Increase consumer confidence in Nigerian foods; and increase trade advantage for Nigerian foods in international markets, with no fear of rejection. The minister added.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health. Mr. Abudullahi Mashi, said that the ministry being mindful of the fact that Food Safety has become a priority in public health, has been doing everything possible to ensure that wholesome food is accessible for production, consumption and trade.
“The manuals were developed because in Nigeria, and in most developing nations, there is paucity of training materials on Food Safety Management System that can ensure food handlers involved in every segment of the food chain understand the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Hygiene & Manufacturing Practices (GHP/GMP),” Mr. Mashi said.
Giving a brief on the Unified Food Safety Training Manuals, the Chairman of the National Food Safety Management Committee, Mr John Atanda, said that they are in line with the continuation of the ongoing implementation of the National Policy on Food Safety & Its Implementation Strategy (NPFSIS).
He said that the manuals would ensure that foods consumed in the formal and informal sector were safe.
“The development of the Unified Training Manuals focused on the need for the micro, small and medium food processes to be trained on food safety management systems. The categories of food handlers targeted for these trainings are:
1. Farmers;
2. Food Processors;
3. Food Service Providers;
4. Food Regulators; and
5. Transporters, Wholesalers, Retailers and Exporters of food & Feed produce”. Mr. Atanda said.
He said that the main objective of the manuals is to build an effective Food Safety System in a bid to improve and maintain appropriate Food Safety practices that are in line with international best practices through Human Capacity development in Food Safety system along the food supply chain.
Explaining that the specific objectives of the manuals were”
1. Promote continuing education for existing food safety handlers and other stakeholders;
2. Improve skills of relevant stakeholders involved in farming, processing, packaging, storage, transportation and distribution of food and food products at local and international markets;
3. Build capacity of MDAs and Organised Private Sectors (OPS) in the implementation of food safety programmes,” he stated.
The manuals were compiled by stakeholders; Ministries, Departments and Agencies; the Organised Private Sector (OPS), Development partners and other stakeholders towards ensuring that foods consumed in Nigeria is safe especially in the production of these manuals.
Lateefah Ibrahim
