The Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has provided $495 million to support the
implementation of the National Food Safety policy.
Its Representative in
Nigeria, Ms Louise Setshwaelo who spoke on Strengthening Nigeria National
Food Control System and Safety at a workshop in Abuja
said the aim was to reduce incidences of food borne illnesses and strengthen
consumer confidence and greater contribution of food trade to economic
development.
She said: “It is
within this framework that FAO and the government have decided to support the
implementation of the National Food Policy on Food Safety.
“Through the project
being launched today, a total of $495 million has been provided by FAO to
support the efforts of government.”
She said the national
food control system was an area where improvement was needed to ensure the
safety of food throughout the value chain.
Ms Setshwaelo
underscored the need for an updated regulatory framework in place to facilitate
enforcement of food safety, hygiene and quality standards.
She said FAO had been
working with relevant institutions to improve on food quality as a means to
improve public health and promote economic development.
Mrs Setshwaelo
said food security was at the centre of FAO’s mandate, adding that access to
adequate safe and nutritious food was a fundamental human right.
The Permanent
Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health, Mr Linus Awute, said there was no
other greater frontier to enforce food safety than a patriotic commitment and
will of both leaders and followers.
He said it was wrong
to blame the government at the centre when things go wrong, noting that it was
a collective responsibility to make the nation great.
Awute said though food
safety was an international phenomena, the ministry was taking it as a matter
of public health.
Awute recalled that in
2007, a total of 90,000 cases of food poisoning was recorded across 56 tertiary
health institutions about 200,000 cases of dyrgorr.
He said: “Food control
system is therefore necessary to protect consumer.”
Source: http://thenationonlineng.net/new/fao-provides-495m-national-food-safety-policy/
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