Sodiq Ojuroungbe
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and a non-governmental organisation focusing on food safety and nutrition, CASCADE, have expressed concerns over the frequent use of agrochemicals for food preservation.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, pointed out that food poisoning has been responsible for the death of over four million persons globally, warning farmers, food manufacturers and dealers against abuse and illegal use of agrochemicals.
Speaking at an event to commemorate the 2024 World Food Safety Day, organised by CASCADE Nigeria in collaboration with the Bauchi State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Adeyeye emphasised the detrimental effects of agrochemical abuse, particularly highlighting the ban on dichlorvos, commonly known as snipper due to its harmful impact on human health.
She pledged that her agency would always ensure that all food products and drugs are fit for human consumption, adding, “NAFDAC has sustained the ban on dichlorvos (snipper) 100ml, which has been used for food preservation because of its effect on humans.”
Adeyeye observed that the theme for 2024 World Food Safety Day, ‘Prepare for the unexpected’ was timely, saying it would help spread awareness of hunger, undernourished population and starvation problems around the world.
On his part, the Bauchi State NAFDAC Coordinator, Dr Paul Kamai, said ensuring food safety is a public health priority and an easy step to achieving food security.
According to him, effective food safety and management systems are important not only to safeguard the well-being of the people but also to foster economic development.
The coordinator added that food contaminants include abuse of agrochemicals, pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, illegal use of banned agrochemicals and microbial contaminants.
Kamai added that NAFDAC had launched an aggressive mop-up exercise on the banned chemicals.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Multilateral Coordination and Chairman, Committee on Food and Nutrition, Jibrin Yusuf, said Bauchi’s increasing cases of malnutrition among children under five years were worrisome.
“As we discuss food safety, we also need to talk about food availability, especially at this period. Today, we have established school gardens and demonstrations to promote the use of local nutritional diets,” he said.
Private Sector Support Officer of CASCADE, Olusesi Oliyide, while speaking, disclosed that the organisation has built the capacity of food vendors under the Homegrown School Feeding Programme on storage, preparation and packaging to avoid contamination.
He stressed that food safety is key to ensuring maximum nutrition in meals.
PUNCH Healthwise had earlier reported how a disturbing video surfaced on social media showing a trader using Sniper, a highly toxic pesticide, to preserve stockfish by applying it directly.
The video created apprehension and sparked debates regarding the potential health risks associated with the misuse of such toxic chemicals.
Experts, who exclusively spoke with our correspondent called for robust policy measures to address the widespread misuse of harmful chemicals in food processing.
They stressed the critical role of government intervention in enforcing existing regulations and ensuring compliance with bans on the open sale of hazardous chemicals like sniper.
The physicians said the highly toxic nature of the pesticide poses severe health risks to consumers and can have potential adverse effects ranging from nausea and vomiting to long-term organ damage and even cancer.
A Consultant Public Health Physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Professor Tanimola Akande, warned that people who consume food items contaminated with harmful chemicals may experience symptoms ranging from respiratory distress to neurological disorders.
The don, while stressing the importance of identifying trusted sources for food products to minimise exposure to contaminated items, called for stricter enforcement measures and increased public awareness campaigns to educate consumers and discourage the use of pesticides in food preservation.
Tanimola noted that there is a need for enhanced surveillance and monitoring by government agencies, including the Inspectorate Unit of Veterinary Services and Environmental Health Officials.
Similarly, a Senior Registrar in the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care at the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr Solomon Olorunfemi emphasised the urgent need for measures to curb the indiscriminate use of pesticides.
He pointed out the negative health impacts associated with the use of snipers, which include common symptoms like nausea and vomiting to more severe long-term effects like organ damage and the development of cancer.
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