The Director General of the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control, Prof Moji Adeyeye, has urged Nigerians to refrain from storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.
Adeyeye warned that cooked food stored in the refrigerator
for days is susceptible to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, key
agents of foodborne diseases that can lead to death.
Adeyeye made this known in a statement on Tuesday signed by
the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola.
Adeyeye, who said this in commemoration of the 2024 World
Food Safety Day with the theme, ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’,
urged stakeholders in the food supply chain to take deliberate actions to
institute a food safety culture in their operations to mitigate food hazards
and risks that could compromise food safety.
The World Food Safety Day celebrated annually on June 7 was
established by the United Nations General Assembly task force in 2018 to raise
awareness and encourage efforts to prevent, detect and address public health
risks linked to unsafe food.
The statement partly read, “She however, urged Nigerians to
refrain from storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days,
warning that cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days is susceptible to
contamination by disease-causing pathogens, key agents of foodborne diseases
that can lead to death.”
Adeyeye remarked that food safety is not only important for
public health but a sine qua non for economic development and food security.
She noted that food safety is a collective responsibility,
adding that everyone from producers to consumers needs to play their part to
ensure food safety.
According to her, the campaign aims to promote global food
safety awareness to strengthen efforts of preventing, detecting, and managing
foodborne risks globally by highlighting the importance of being prepared for
food safety incidents.
“Let us all stay true to the statements ‘food safety is
everyone’s business’ and ‘food safety is a shared responsibility’ as we
celebrate this year’s World Food Safety Day. Working together, we will continue
to strengthen our food safety system, ensuring its resilience, robustness, and
preparedness for the unexpected,” she said.
According to the World Health Organisation, an estimated 600
million – almost one in 10 people in the world – fall ill after eating
contaminated food, and 420,000 die every year, resulting in the loss of 33
million healthy life years.
WHO said $110bn is lost yearly in productivity and medical
expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries.
Also, the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs
Eva Edwards, alerted that foodborne diseases are expensive, yet they are
preventable.
Edwards emphasised the significance of food as a necessity
for human life, stressing that it can also be a source of harm if not handled
properly.
She stated that food safety emergency response must be
anchored on a multisectoral, collaborative, integrated one-health approach
across the health, agriculture, and environment sectors, the tiers of
government including relevant external partners and non-governmental
organisations.
“Let’s all play our part in promoting the culture of good
hygiene practices in our homes, communities, and food establishments. Together
we can ensure a safer and healthier food supply for everyone,” she noted.