NiCFoST Seeks to Achieve Best Food Standards in Nigeria

Folalumi Alaran in Abuja

The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) is seeking to achieve best food standards in Nigeria that would put the country on an international scale.

The Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, NiCFoST, Ms. Veronica Ezeh, stated this at a sensitiSation forum for federal and state ministries of agriculture and their Agricultural Development Programmes (ADPS) in Abuja yesterday.

NiCFoST, a newly established regulatory council under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is focused on regulating the practice and profession of food science and technology in Nigeria.

This multidisciplinary course provides holistic skills and knowledge for the production and delivery of wholesome and safe food that meets the satiety and nutritional needs of the population.

The aim of the forum, which was attended by distinguished resource persons and participants from the Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture and their ADPs, is to inform and involve food professionals in improving food safety practices from farm to table.

Ezeh added that the council is also aimed at satisfying both local and international markets and restoring the country’s confidence in the world food trade.

According to her, “the aim of the sensitisation is to seek for involvement of food professionals in the food value chain (from farm to table) to close the huge gap that exists between agric primary food production through postharvest of crops or pre-handling of livestock animals/seafoods and food on the table.

“This is in line with global best practice of making food or food products safe for nation’s citizens. Nigerian food or food products can compete favourably with the ones outside of Nigeria and not rejected when exported once the gap is addressed.

“NiCFOST will rely on the Ministries of Agriculture (federal and state including the Ministries of Health) for policies that will include food scientific skills of the food professionals to be able to close the huge gap in the food value chains for the improvement of food safety practices right from the farm to the table.

“Final outputs from the farm (food commodities, reared livestock animals and seafoods) depend on Good Agricultural Practices. These food commodities are the starting materials needed by food professionals for transformation to food and they must be of required quality and wholesomeness.

“We are soliciting for your support for the attainment of best food standards in Nigeria.

“I look forward to addressing all the ills in our food supply system and assure safe foods locally and quality food commodities that are compliant to World Trade Organisation (WTO) standards and thus restore the Country’s confidence in the world food trade.”

In his presentation on the role of food science and technology in agric extension, scholar in food science, Prof. Chijioke Osuji, said that one of the ways to tell how a country would move forward is how advanced their indigenous food technology is.