By Jane Okeke
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has questioned proposals to make bouillon fortification mandatory, arguing that adding vitamins and minerals to ultra-processed foods does not address concerns over their sodium content.
In a statement issued to mark World Heart Day, signed by Robert Egbe, Media and Communications Officer, CAPPA, the organisation said mandatory fortification of bouillon cubes could send conflicting messages about healthy eating at a time Nigeria is battling diet-related diseases.
CAPPA said Nigeria’s food environment is increasingly dominated by ultra-processed products, which are often marketed through advertising, celebrity endorsements, cultural imagery, pricing strategies and product placement.
The organisation cited excessive consumption of sodium, added sugars and saturated fats as risk factors associated with hypertension, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke.
It noted that excessive sodium intake contributes to high blood pressure, one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease, while the World Health Organisation recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 milligrams of sodium daily.
CAPPA maintained that the widespread consumption of bouillon cubes should not automatically make them a preferred vehicle for delivering additional nutrients, saying their popularity should instead prompt closer scrutiny of their nutritional composition and potential health effects.
The organisation warned that increasing the nutritional appeal of a heavily consumed processed product without addressing its sodium content could undermine efforts to reduce salt consumption and create confusion for consumers.
CAPPA called on the Federal Government to strengthen sodium-reduction measures, introduce mandatory and easily understandable front-of-pack warning labels, regulate the marketing of unhealthy foods and improve access to affordable, nutritious foods.
Its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said protecting heart health requires attention to the wider food environment, urging government to prioritise policies that make nutritious, minimally processed foods accessible while reducing exposure to excessive salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.
