Are Your Food Hygiene and Safety Practices Up to Standard?

Faith Edeh fell victim to severe typhoid not once, but thrice, after consuming a seemingly harmless cup of pap from her school cafeteria.

This distressing experience left an indelible mark on Faith’s life, prompting her to become hyper-vigilant about her dietary choices from that point onward.

She says, “Salt and vinegar are my best friend If I could scrub an item with these two I will”

Maryam Abdulkadir, the founder of the food vendor “ryaamas _c says

“My father experienced food poisoning after consuming fried rice at my Aunt’s house. The vegetables in the dish were undercooked, leading to his severe illness and subsequent diarrhoea.”

FOOD BORNE ILLNESSES: THE STATISTICS

Feed The Nation reports that foodborne diseases impose a significant global burden, resulting in approximately 600 million cases of illness and 420,000 premature deaths.

The majority of these cases affect children under the age of five (38%) and individuals residing in low- and middle-income nations (53%).

This data highlights the immense social and public health importance of addressing this issue.

Notably, Africa bears the highest per capita burden of foodborne illnesses, with an estimated 137,000 fatalities and 91 million cases of acute illness annually.

According to a report by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), diarrhoea remains a major cause of mortality among children under the age of 5 globally.

In 2017, it accounted for approximately 8% of all deaths in this age group, resulting in more than 1,300 young children losing their lives each day. Shockingly, this amounts to around 480,000 children per year, despite the fact that simple and effective treatments are readily available.

World Food Safety Day on 7 June aims to draw attention and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage food-borne risks, contributing to food security, human health, economic prosperity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable development. 

HEALTHY FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES

a food specialist, Immaculate Uzoamaka Nwajagu, addresses various misconceptions that can be considered as myths regarding food hygiene.

She says, “Some individuals believe that items picked up after five minutes are still safe for consumption, washing raw materials or meat can eliminate bacteria, and freezing food can kill bacteria.”

These misconceptions pose threats to our health, which can be mitigated through cleanliness, proper food storage, safe food preparation, safe food handling, and ensuring the safety of water and food sources.
raising awareness is crucial to safeguarding our well-being.

a public health nutritionist, Kamaludeen Ahmad, emphasizes the importance of preventive measures, which he believes should involve collaboration between the government and stakeholders.

He says, “With fruits and vegetables being the healthiest foods and most wasted foods on our planet in addition to meats and fish products due to a lack of adequate storage facilities, Government in collaboration with stakeholders should also establish adequate storage facilities across the country, particularly for perishable and frozen foods products, to create an environment that will allow small business owners to safely store their produce.”

The Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) has reiterated the significance of food safety for the nation’s economic development while warning against malpractices and improper food handling.

It says, its Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate is taking all necessary measures to ensure that food manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, sold, advertised, and used in Nigeria meets the highest standards of food safety.

The Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate of NAFDAC, is also taking measures to ensure that food manufactured, imported, exported, distributed, sold, advertised, and used in Nigeria meets the highest standards of food safety.

1 Comment

  • Kamaluddeen Ahmad June 9, 2023

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