Segun Atanda/
The Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety And Nutrition Initiative (CAFSANI) has urged Nigerians to avert foodborne illnesses now killing thousands around the world.
Marking the 2024 World Food Safety Day under the FAO/WHO theme, “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected,” CAFSANI observed that Food safety in the present globalized world, has become a major issue of concern in that it transcends national and international borders.
The President/CEO of CAFSANI, and Chairman of the World Food Safety Day Planning Committee for 2024 under the National Food Safety Management Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Olugbenga Ogunmoyela, said, “Foodborne pathogens do not recognize boundaries or borders, so when it comes to protecting consumers, we cannot afford to take chances. Our recent experience with the COVID-19 pandemic should reinforce this concern. The days are gone when we would say that an event occurring so far away does not concern us as a people, especially because of the high rate of migration of Nigerians all over the world.
“According to WHO estimates, foodborne illnesses are responsible for 420,000 deaths annually around the world, 125,000 of them in children under age 5. This is not just a sad statistic – it must be seen as a public health call to action. Nigeria with an estimated population of about 230 million faces the greatest threat in Sub-Saharan Africa. We must be prepared to protect our population especially with consumers who are not only highly mobile migrants, but have developed an unhealthy penchant for imports!
“The Nigerian food system, as we know, is closely characterized by issues of poor food safety, hygiene, and traceability, as well as a high level of hidden hunger and food insecurity. These pose a great threat to the well-being of our population.
“A recent report by Cadre Harmonise has forewarned that Nigeria is on the brink of a devastating food crisis, with an estimated 31.5 million citizens facing acute insecurity in having inadequate access to food by August 2024. This is perhaps not surprising in view of the remote issues of terrorist insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry which for more than one decade have plagued different parts of the country, leading to the abandonment of farmlands. These are the remote drivers of the deteriorating food security situation, characterized by hyper-inflation, and fueled by the recent removal of fuel and electricity subsidies. We must make it a national priority to get people back to the farms!
“But the situation is further compounded by the effects of climate-related shocks across the country. In the face of increasing food insecurity, people tend to shift to less healthy diets and consume more ‘unsafe foods,’ which pose health risks and contribute to the increased state of malnutrition and related deaths. If food is not safe, it cannot provide the nutrition required for building a healthy population. Unsafe food therefore not only affects our health, but also has far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s economy and progress towards achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This is certainly why ensuring food safety at all times has become so crucial.
“Food handling issues are not the only cause of food borne illnesses. Food incidents can happen, for example, due to accidents at any point in the food chain, ineffective or inadequate controls, food fraud, or natural or unanticipated events. They can be due to unexpected events such as drought, flooding, or power outage, that can cause a breakdown in established food safety controls and consequent food contamination or spoilage. This is why ‘Food safety is everyone’s business’.
“Ensuring food safety requires our collective vigilance and action. Therefore, being ready for any unexpected food safety incidents requires collective, proactive measures and vigilance to respond effectively especially in emergency situations.”
Prof. Ogunmoyela added, “Last year, we witnessed how for practically one week, Lokoja and a good part of Kogi State was locked up in flooding and accumulated rain water. It was so bad as to threaten that State and access by surrounding States including the FCT, but we were helpless onlookers. Now, the rains are here again!
“This year’s World Food Safety Day is aimed at raising awareness about the additional threats of climate change and other unforeseen events which all of us, no matter in what role, must be prepared for, knowing that even when we have taken all precautions and played our part in avoiding unsafe foods, the unexpected can still happen.
“Governments and industries must put in place emergency response plans to combat such unexpected events when they happen, and ensure that the necessary actions are promptly implemented for immediate resolution. Policies are not enough, they must be matched with actions. All food actors must be aware of and be ready to implement such food safety management plans, as only effective communication and timely actions will help save lives.
“Anticipating the likelihood of such unusual events, whether by way of natural disasters like flooding or the consequences of national power outage as we have seen in some countries, can help to minimize the risks to life from unsafe foods and poor food access.
In addition, investments in consumer education need to be stepped up, in order to build food safety consciousness and knowledge that can help avert problems in such unexpected situations.
“Consumers therefore generally need to be more aware of how to protect their environment, and how to manage food safety and nutrition issues at all times.
“At CAFSANI, we remain committed to the promotion of safe and nutritious foods in our food system for the benefit of all consumers. Thus, on this occasion of the World Food Safety Day this year, we urge everyone to remember that awareness is the first step for preventing, detecting, and managing foodborne risks for public health and safety. Our emergency response measures must be able to safeguard public health and well-being, as well as economic stability.
“Every one of us, including government, producers, and consumers, has a vital role to play in ensuring food safety in such emergency situations.
Remember, even when the unexpected occurs, our actions can make a difference in preventing illness and/or even mass deaths.”