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THE CHALLENGE OF FOOD PROCESSING

Regulators should embark on public education on food safety
Authorities in the country should be concerned about a recent study by the University of Ibadan which discovered that over 50 per cent of pregnant women in some rural communities had detectable levels of pesticides in their blood. Jointly conducted by the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report reveals the adverse effects of chemical poisoning cases and related health impact in the country. Nigeria must therefore contend with the problem of food-borne diseases with their attendant social, economic and health costs.
For years, the issue of food safety has posed a daunting challenge in Nigeria hence an urgent need for strict compliance with laws on food preservation. For instance, experts have identified improper use of agro chemicals and pesticides to control pests on grains as one of the causes of the rising cases of food poisoning in the country. The consumption of food grains that have been laced with pesticides by vendors to preserve their shelf life and protect them from destruction by pests puts many people at risk of gastro-intestinal disorders, and some types of cancers. Meanwhile, food-borne diseases affect disproportionately the most vulnerable of society, the infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly.
Given the alarming rate at which people, including sometimes a whole family, eat certain food and then die in the country, there is an urgent need for public enlightenment on the danger associated with some of the food items we consume. Nigerians must be made to understand that certain food can be dangerous if not properly processed. The Federal Ministry of Health, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and NAFDAC should mitigate food poisoning cases by applying universal food safety practices. The federal agencies should ensure safety compliance by monitoring the quality of food being sold in Nigerian markets.
For instance, it is important that there be a campaign on cassava-based dishes which are widely consumed in Nigeria, as it is a major source of carbohydrates. They are by far the commonest meals, with popular appeal to the poor. But cassava has one major drawback: When poorly processed, the roots and leaves contain a substance named Linamarin which when eaten is converted to cyanide, a poisonous gas which could be fatal when inhaled or ingested. The poor preparation of cassava meals, according to experts, can leave enough of this poisonous substance to cause acute intoxication, goiter and in some cases death.
Ordinarily, the processing of cassava often employed by the traditional methods and rural women (by crushing, soaking in water to ferment and baking) is said to be good enough to effectively contain the toxic content found in cassava, whether of the sweet or bitter variety. But these days, many of the producers adopt short-cut processing techniques, which turn out to endanger lives. In some cases, particularly those with high cyanide levels, mere exposure to volatile substances while being processed can cause some health disorders. It is therefore important that the producers be sensitised to take more time in processing their cassava meals.
It is unacceptable that Nigerians would be dying, ironically, from what ought to sustain and indeed, keep them alive. Since the causes of many of these deaths were never accurately determined, it is becoming increasingly clear that the way some foods were processed posed serious health risks, especially to vital organs and the immune system. The most endangered are people already malnourished as they lack the proper mix of amino acids that are vital ingredients in detoxifying some of the poisons. We hope that health authorities will take up the matter for enlightenment campaigns in the country.