By Hassan Zaggi
The Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has warned operators of hotels and quick service restaurants, popularly called Eateries to strictly adhere to the agency’s guidelines and regulation.
She gave the warning at a meeting with the hotel operators and owners of eateries in Lagos.
The theme of the meeting was: ‘’Safety and Quality of Food in Hotels and Eateries.’’
She expressed concerns about health risks of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) associated with the consumption of foods high in salt, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fatty acids.
“Also of concern is the misuse of food additives for enhancing the appearance of food, the colour, texture, taste, and shelf life,” the NAFDAC Director General noted.
Prof Adeyeye decried what she described as the ‘rise in non communicable diseases including cancers, diabetes which are related to the foods we eat including other poor health conditions, such as impaired growth and development, micronutrient deficiencies and even mental illness’’.
According to the DG, adhering to the provisions of Good Health Practices (GHP) and Good Manufacturing (GMP) ensures that food prepared is safe to eat and enables businesses to protect their reputation.
She said that GHP and GMP, when adequately implemented, would ensure that food prepared for customers is free of harmful micro-organisms that can cause harm and serious health issues.
She, therefore, advised operators to diligently comply with the agency’s Regulations and Guidelines concerning their operations as this is of immense benefit to their operations.
Prof Adeyeye further explained that food safety involves preventive strategies at all levels of food-related operations such as receiving, storing, processing, handling, and distribution of food.
As stakeholders along the food chain, she said, “It is critical that you are well informed and guided on food-related operations to address food hazards and deliver safe, good quality food to consumers’’.
Prof. Adeyeye further disclosed that access to safe and wholesome food was essential for the health and well-being of people.
’It is only when food is safe that we can benefit from its nutritional value and the social benefits of sharing good meals.
‘’As a Regulatory Agency, we believe that targeted communication, education, and awareness- raising will contribute to ensuring voluntary compliance to regulatory requirements with resultant positive health outcomes for our teeming population,” she stressed.
