Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Administration and Control, has advised Nigerians not to keep cooked food in the refrigerator for longer than three days.
Adeyeye cautioned that food that has been cooked and refrigerated for several days may become contaminated by pathogens that cause illness, which are the main cause of foodborne illnesses that can be fatal.
Adeyeye revealed this in a statement on Tuesday that Sayo Akintola, the agency’s resident media consultant, signed.
Adeyeye urged those involved in the food supply chain to take intentional steps to implement a food safety culture in their operations in order to reduce food hazards and risks that could compromise food safety. Adeyeye made this statement in honor of the 2024 World Food Safety Day, which has as its theme, “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected.”
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 stated that food safety is essential for both economic growth and food security, in addition to being vital for public health.
She emphasized that everyone must do their part to ensure food safety, from producers to consumers, and that food safety is a shared responsibility.
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.
The World Health Organization estimates that eating tainted food causes illness in 600 million people worldwide (nearly one in ten), 420,000 of whom pass away annually, and 33 million years of healthy life are lost as a result.
According to the WHO, eating contaminated food costs low- and middle-income nations $110 billion annually in lost productivity and medical costs.
Additionally, Mrs. Eva Edwards, the Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, warned that although foodborne illnesses are costly, they can be avoided.
Edwards emphasized the value of food as a need for human survival while also pointing out that, if not used responsibly, it can be harmful.
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.
Published by Ejoh Caleb
