Over the past year, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has made significant strides to improve the nation’s food safety systems through its Food Safety and Quality Programme.
In light of World Food Safety Day, the ministry has emphasized the importance of being prepared for unexpected food safety challenges that can arise from power outages, natural disasters, or simple appliance failures.
Highlighting the gravity of the issue, the ministry disclosed that more than 200 diseases can result from consuming food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites, or chemical substances such as heavy metals. Alarmingly, 1 in 10 people globally fall ill each year from contaminated food.
Children under the age of five, who make up 9% of the world’s population, disproportionately bear 40% of the foodborne disease burden. This vulnerability increases their risk of malnutrition and mortality due to unsafe food.
Food safety incidents are not limited to foodborne illnesses. Unexpected events, such as power outages or flooding, can lead to contamination or compromise food safety controls. To combat these issues, the ministry has offered several tips for maintaining food safety, including proper storage practices, maintaining appropriate fridge and cupboard temperatures, thoroughly washing hands and surfaces before handling food, and recognizing when to discard unsafe food.
In an effort to enhance food safety, the ministry has introduced the National Integrated Guideline on Food-borne Disease Surveillance and Response. This initiative ensures real-time data collection on food-borne diseases, enhancing the prediction and response to such diseases nationwide
“This has increased our score in the last Joint External Evaluation (JEE) from 20% to 60% in the two food safety indicators,” the ministry stated.
Moreover, the ministry has developed and implemented two unified food safety training manuals to improve the capacity of food handlers. It has also reviewed the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its Implementation Plan for 2023, expanding its scope to address emerging global food safety issues.
As Nigeria continues to strengthen its food safety framework, the ministry urges citizens to remain vigilant and informed about best practices to ensure the safety and quality of their food.
Over the past year, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has improved the nation's food safety systems through its Food Safety and Quality Programme. Highlighting World Food Safety Day, the ministry stressed the significance of preparing for unexpected food safety challenges due to power outages, natural disasters, or appliance failures. The ministry revealed that over 200 diseases could result from contaminated food, impacting 1 in 10 people globally each year, with children under five bearing a disproportionate burden.
Food safety can also be compromised by incidents such as power outages and flooding. To address these issues, the ministry offered tips on proper food storage, temperature maintenance, hygiene practices, and when to discard unsafe food. The ministry also introduced the National Integrated Guideline on Food-borne Disease Surveillance and Response for real-time data collection on food-borne diseases, improving national prediction and response rates significantly.
This initiative raised Nigeria's score in the Joint External Evaluation from 20% to 60% for two food safety indicators. Additionally, the ministry developed two unified training manuals for food handlers and reviewed the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality for 2023, expanding its scope to tackle emerging food safety issues. As Nigeria strengthens its food safety framework, the ministry urges citizens to stay vigilant and informed about best practices to ensure food safety and quality.
