Bukola Afeni
The Federal Government has unveiled the revised National Policy on Food Safety and Quality.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mohammed Ali Pate also emphasized the critical importance of vigilance in maintaining the safety and integrity of the nation’s food supply.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Mohammed Pate was represented by Daju Kachollom the Permanent Secretary.
The Minister said preparedness is not just a watchword but our steadfast shield against the unpredictable tides of adversity.
Pate called for a united effort to transform the food control system in Nigeria.
“Let this day be a turning point, a moment when we collectively pledge to uphold the highest standards of food safety, to prepare for the unexpected with resolve and resilience, and to ensure that the future of our food is secure,” he urged.
He underscored the theme of this year’s celebration, “Food safety: prepare for the unexpected,” as a call to action, highlighting the myriad of challenges that threaten food safety, from natural disasters and climate change to accidental contamination and deliberate adulteration.
The Minister added that the revised policy is rooted in the One Health approach which addresses essential areas such as risk analysis, emerging contaminants within the food chain, and the establishment of an integrated foodborne disease surveillance and response system. “It encompasses principles of risk analysis, the issue of emerging contaminants, and sets benchmarks for safe handling, marketing, and sale of food throughout our nation,” he explained.
Dr. Pate also spoke of the policy’s broader vision of ensuring not just food safety but also promoting healthy diets to combat non-communicable diseases.
“The policy lays out strategic plans to reduce the intake of salt, trans fatty acids, sugar, and alcohol, aiming to alleviate the growing burden of non-communicable diseases that afflict our country,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary Daju Kachallom who was represented by a Director called for prioritization of food safety throughout the food supply chain, from farm to table because most food borne diseases are preventable.
“Our behaviour, the way we build food systems and how we organize food supply chains can prevent infectious and toxic hazards, microbial pathogens (bacteria, viruses and parasites), chemical residues, bio toxins and other noxious or dangerous substances from getting into our kitchen utensils”, she said.
She also charged food systems policy-makers, practitioners and investors to reorient their activities to increase the sustainable production and consumption of safe foods so as to improve health outcomes.
“We want farmers, producers, processors, distributors, marketers and handlers to see food safety as a critical concern and embrace good practices such as good hygiene, good biosecurity and good environmental waste management to keep hazards and contaminants out of food”.
