Stakeholders intensify campaign for food safety amidst growing agrochemical abuse

Concerns have been raised about the frequent use of agrochemicals for food preservation by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control as well as CASCADE, a non-governmental organisation that focuses on nutrition and food safety.

Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, cautioned farmers, food makers, and dealers against abusing and using agrochemicals illegally, pointing out that food poisoning had killed over four million people worldwide.

Speaking at a celebration of the 2024 World Food Safety Day, held by CASCADE Nigeria in association with the Bauchi State Committee on Food and Nutrition, Adeyeye emphasised the negative consequences of abusing agricultural chemicals, stressing in particular the prohibition on dichlorvos, also referred to as snipper, because of its detrimental effects on human health.

Speaking about how NAFDAC "has sustained the ban on dichlorvos (snipper) 100ml, which has been used for food preservation because of its effect on humans," she promised that her organisation would always make sure that all food products and medications are appropriate for human consumption.

Adeyeye noted that the 2024 World Food Safety Day topic, "Prepare for the unexpected," was appropriate and will aid in raising global awareness of the issues associated with hunger, malnutrition, and starvation.

Dr. Paul Kamai, the Bauchi State NAFDAC Coordinator, stated that guaranteeing food safety is a top concern for public health and a simple first step towards obtaining food security.

Effective food safety and management systems, in his opinion, are crucial not only to protect public health 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.
NAFDAC has begun a vigorous mop-up operation on the prohibited chemicals, Kamai continued.

The growing number of malnourished children under five in Bauchi, according to Jibrin Yusuf, Chairman of the Committee on Food and Nutrition and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Multilateral Coordination, is concerning.

"We need to talk about food availability as well as food safety, especially during this time of year. In order to encourage the use of locally sourced, nutritious meals, we have set up school gardens and demonstrations," he stated.

Speaking, Olusesi Oliyide, the Private Sector Support Officer of CASCADE, revealed that the organisation has improved food vendors' storage, preparation, and packaging capabilities under the Homegrown School Feeding Programme in order to prevent contamination.

He emphasised the need of food safety in order to provide optimal nutrition in meals. A troubling video that went viral on social media showed a merchant personally applying the very lethal insecticide Sniper to stockfish in order to preserve them.

As rebellious traders use chemicals to preserve fish, experts call for strict controls - Healthwise (punchng.com)

The video raised concerns and spurred discussions about the possible health hazards connected to the improper usage of such hazardous substances.

In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, experts urged strong legislative action to address the pervasive overuse of dangerous chemicals in food processing.

They emphasised how important it is for the government to step in and enforce current laws, such as those prohibiting the open sale of dangerous substances like sniper rifles.

According to the doctors, the pesticide's extremely toxic nature puts customers' health at serious risk and can have unfavourable effects that range from nausea and vomiting to long-term organ damage and even cancer.

Prof. Tanimola Akande, a consultant public health physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Kwara State, cautioned that eating food tainted with dangerous chemicals might cause symptoms ranging from neurological abnormalities to respiratory discomfort.

The don advocated for tougher enforcement actions and more public awareness initiatives to inform consumers and deter the use of pesticides in food preservation, while also emphasising the value of locating reliable suppliers for food products to reduce exposure to tainted goods.

Tanimola stated that government organisations, such as the Inspectorate Unit of Veterinary Services and Environmental Health Officials, must increase their surveillance and monitoring.

The urgent need for action to stop the careless use of pesticides was also stressed by Dr. Solomon Olorunfemi, Senior Registrar in the Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care at the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He outlined the harmful health implications of using shooters, which range from milder long-term affects like nausea and vomiting to more serious ones like organ damage and the emergence of cancer.