The Nigeria government says it is committed to ensuring that the citizens eat heathy.
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The Nigerian Minister of state Health, Dr. Adeleke Mamora, made the commitment at an event to mark the 2021 World Food Safety Day themed: ‘Safe food today for a healthy tomorrow’ with the slogan: Food Safety is Everyone’s Business”, which held in Abuja.
He said that the World Food Safety Day is marked with the aim to strengthen efforts in ensuring that food people eat is safe for a healthy tomorrow.
” World Food Safety Day is a unique opportunity to raise awareness about the dangers of unsafe food with governments, producers, handlers and consumers having a role to play in making food safe. Unsafe food hinders development especially on low and middle income economies, which lose around US$ 95 billion in productivity associated with illness, disability, premature death suffered by workers. This global foodborne disease burden affects mostly children under give and vulnerable population“. Dr. Momora said.
He also said that the production and consumption of safe food have immediate and long term benefits for people, the planet and the economy.
“ A risk based approach to food safety requirements can help keep global food supplies open and enable consumer access to food. Therefore, a concerted efforts on food safety will help Nigeria mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and boost our resilience for long term” He said.
The minister also acknowledged people working to keep food safe during the COVID-19 pandemic as true heroes deserving thanks.
Dr. Mamora identified challenges facing food safety in Nigeria as lack of awareness of food safety, paucity of data and information on incidence of food borne disease outbreaks, lack of understanding of food safety and quality standards and global best practices, inadequate infrastructure and resources to support scientific risk analysis and upgrading of food safety regulatory system, inefficient food supply chain and poor traceability system.
“We need a concerted effort to keep food safe and therefore farmers, producers, processors, distributors, marketers and handlers should see food safety as a critical issue and embrace good practices such as good hygiene, good biosafety and environmental waste management to keep hazard and containments out of food or at the lowest possible levels. Food workers need to be aware of the role they play and practice good personal hygiene and ensure that the environment in which food is produced is safe”. The minister advised.
On his part, the World Health Organization Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, says everyone irrespective of their age, gender, health and economic status has the right to have access to safe, sufficient, and nutritious food.
He said that safe food assures improved nutrition, promotes health and vitality of families and communities.
“Globally, an estimated 600 million – almost 1 in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420 000 die every year.
“Consequently, in 2018, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 73/250 proclaiming 7 June as World Food Safety Day, taking into account the global burden of foodborne diseases, which affect individuals of all ages, in particular children under five years and persons living in low-income regions“. Dr. Mulombo said.
The Director Food & Drug Department and the organiser of the World Food Safety Day, Olubukola Ajayi, appealed to Nigerians to report any unwholesome practices to the ministry.
She said that government is looking at ways to stop the use of chemicals for the preservtion of food in the country.
There were good will messages from the ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Standard Organization of Nigeria, and other stakeholders.
