NAFDAC Issues Public Alert on Refrigerated Cooked Food
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged Nigerians not to eat cooked food refrigerated for more than three days.
According to the agency, cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days is susceptible to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, key agents of foodborne diseases that can lead to death.
Food safety incidents are situations where there is a potential or confirmed health risk associated with food consumption. A food incident can happen, for example, due to accidents, inadequate controls, food fraud, or natural events.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye tasked all stakeholders in the food supply chain to take deliberate actions to institute a food safety culture in their operations to mitigate the food hazards and risks that could compromise food safety.
The DG while speaking at the 2024 World Food Safety Day with the theme: ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the unexpected,’ emphasised that food safety is a collective responsibility, and the need for everyone, from producers to consumers, to play their part to ensure that the food that is being consumed is safe.
T
he World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that globally, one in 10 people fall ill, and 420,000 die each year due to consuming contaminated food.
This results in the loss of 33 million healthy life years, with children under five and other vulnerable groups in poorer regions being disproportionately affected.
In developing countries, about $110 billion is lost every year on medical expenses due to unsafe food.
