By Esther Onyegbula

The Honorable Commissioner of Health for Lagos State, Professor Akin Emmanuel Abayomi, has directed food traders in the state to stop using harmful preservatives to preserve food.

Professor Abayomi spoke at a one-day market sensitization program to commemorate World Food Safety Day 2024, which was organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Health’s Directorate of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety in Ayobo Market Garage, Agege Lagos.

According to the Honorable Commissioner of Health, represented by Dr. Ajayi Theophilus Folarin, Director Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety, “Using dangerous chemicals like sniper to preserve food can lead to food poisoning, cerebral damage, destruction of vital organs in the body, and a food crisis.”

Emphasising the importance of the event, Professor Abayomi said: “We are doing a lot of advocacy in Lagos state, a lot of sensitisation on food safety and that is why the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu asked us to educate the market men and women on food safety.”
“We need to educate and sensitize our market men and women about food poisoning because most traders use dangerous chemicals to preserve food, such as sniper.” About two weeks ago, a young man fell into a coma after eating food preserved by sniper.”

Speaking on the event’s impact, Executive Chairman of Orile Agege Local Council Development Area, Babatunde Johnson, stated: “Theme food safety prepared for the unexpected. The programme is very impactful on the traders. It is an enlightenment campaign to educate food traders about the DOs and DON’Ts of their business. It will help them make informed health related decisions.”

Honourable Babatunde, who was represented by Sanitarian Along Adijat, said: “The purpose of the event is to educate them about the dangers of using chemicals to preserve food. We must exercise extreme caution when processing our farm produce.”
On what Orile Agege Local Council Development Area is doing to ensure food safety, he stated, “We use preventative measures. We have a section in the LCDA that is in charge of food control in the LG. Their function is to educate food handlers about personal and environmental hygiene.”

Speaking on the theme, ‘Prepared for the Unexpected,’ Yetunde Poopula, Chairman Street Food Safety, Nigeria Institute of Food Science and Technology, stated, “The significance of today is to sensitize food traders in the market, those who are selling in the market, on the importance of keeping the food they are selling safe.” The food they sell can be eaten by anyone, so they must sell in a clean environment, ensure they maintain person hygiene and have taken a food handlers test.
“Part of the awareness campaign is to raise consumer safety awareness in order to prevent food-borne diseases such as lassa fever. Any disease that is associated with food consumption.”
“My advice to traders and consumers is to report sharp practices to government agencies such as the Ministry of Health or the Environment,” she added.

Friday Eze, a foodstuff trader, expressed gratitude to the program’s organizers, saying, “I learned a lot from the event.” We learned how to use neem oil to preserve food without using harmful chemicals. How to handle food so that it is not contaminated with germs that can cause illnesses such as Lassa Fever.”