In a statement signed by Sayo Akintola, Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Prof. Adeyeye was quoted as saying that safe food is an essential component of sustainable development and contributes to the improvement of public health, poverty reduction, and increased food security.
Themed ‘Safer Food, Better Health,’ she said ‘’You all know my popular saying about not needing medicine if one eats right. Eating right means making healthy food choices from safe, wholesome, and nutritious foods’’, she said.
She stressed that the occasion of World Food Safety Day is an added opportunity for us to create and generate awareness around food safety and situate it as a very significant issue of public health concern, especially in the light of safe, wholesome food being important for boosting immunity and improving the body’s natural defenses in fighting diseases.
She noted that these are important players whose activities fall within the informal sector, and they constitute a significant part of our national food supply.
She, however, noted with dismay that their activities are of concern regarding safe food practices or lack of it.
She added that these foods are frequently exposed to less than hygienic and sanitary conditions, resulting in contamination and leading to incidences and outbreaks of foodborne diseases, situations that are steadily becoming significant food safety concerns.
The NAFDAC boss disclosed that unsafe foods are the cause of many diseases and contribute to other poor health conditions, such as impaired growth and development.
‘’We know that food safety is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a role to play in ensuring we have safer food for better health: from growers to processors, to transporters, sellers, buyers, and those who prepare or serve food. Policymakers, educational institutions, and workplaces, as well as consumers, are not left out; food safety is the responsibility of all. We must all work together to help achieve safer food for better health’’.
She said her ‘Call to Action’ on this occasion of World Food Safety Day goes out to four groups of stakeholders, namely policy makers and food regulators, food businesses, educational institutions and workplaces as well as the consumers.
The NAFDAC DG also admonished consumers to practice safe food handling at home and follow the WHO’s Five Keys to Safer Food: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures and use safe water and raw materials.
‘’We have seized the opportunity of the World Food Safety Day to put together this capacity-building event for staff members, and I believe that it will provide an additional layer of awareness and knowledge on food safety as well as ensure a food safety culture that will go beyond the celebration of World Food Safety Day today, while making us true advocates of the consumption of safe foods, leading to improved health outcomes’’.
Source: healthwise.com
