Thinking Food Safety

Food Safety refers to the proper handling, cooking, and preservation of food to protect consumers from food-borne diseases. It is an essential practice which gives access to healthy and wholesome foods thus reducing the risk of chronic diseases and deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, about 1 in 10 people fall ill every year due to the consumption of contaminated food. About 420,000 adults and 125,000 children (younger than 5 years old) die each year due to food-borne diseases. This is a big burden on Public Health, hence the need for Food Safety education and sensitization.
Without doubt, what we eat contributes to what we become. However, how we handle, cook, and preserve our foods, and where we buy the food we consume, influences our health.
In the quest for quick profits and disregard for human health, a lot of food handlers indulge in sharp practices which pose threats to human health.

Here are some of the unsafe food practices among food handlers:

Artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables using unapproved agents such as calcium carbide:  This is common among fruits and vegetables vendors, to give the fruits and vegetables uniform skin color, and make it look fresh. Fruits like mango, papaya, banana, and jute mallow (ewedu leaf),are ripened this way. Fruits that ripen in this manner are often yellow while the stem remains dark green. According to studies, health benefits of fruits depend on how they are ripened. Calcium carbide breaks down the organic composition of vitamins and other micronutrients, and consuming fruits and vegetables ripened with this toxic chemical could cause symptoms such as low blood pressure and seizure, headache, dizziness, high sleepiness, and general weakness. Pregnant women particularly need to avoid such fruits and vegetables. Also, washing and peeling the fruits before eating could minimize the risks of calcium carbide.

Use of containers contaminated with hazardous chemicals: Such as fertilizer bags for grains or chemical drums and Jerry cans for storing cooking oil. Fertilizer when ingested is extremely toxic and may cause disturbances of the kidneys, lungs, liver, and even cause cancer.

It is advisable to buy foods from safe and hygienic sources.

Use of Beer in food preparation:

This practice is common in local restaurants commonly known as bukas. It was claimed that beer stirred with yam flour makes the amala to mix well during preparation. However, this is adulteration of food. Unsuspecting diners could become tipsy after consuming.

Use of unsafe water to wash fruits: 

Some food vendors have been caught using water from drainages to wash fruits. This practice is highly unhygienic. Therefore, it’s essential to buy fruits from vendors who care about human health, and also wash fruits thoroughly before consuming.

Adulteration of Palm oil with Sudan IV(dye): This practice is done by Palm oil vendors to make the oil darker in color and pour easily. Research shows that adulterated palm oil contains high amounts of acid, and indicates traces of high saponification and high relative density. It is capable of causing cancer when deposited in the human body, and could increase the level of bad cholesterol. Consumers need to be educated about the risk of consuming this oil, as some buy it because of its attractiveness and price. The Government regulatory bodies also need to take actions to ban the sale of this oil.

Use of Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCBs): Popularly known as Transformer oil in frying Akara (Bean cake), Plantain chips, Chicken, and other food items. It was found out that some food vendors mix vegetable oil with transformer oil to fry food items. This practice can expose the public to cancer, as transformer oil is toxic and carcinogenic.

Consumers should be mindful of where they buy fried foods, and if possible consume homemade foods. 

These unsafe practices explain why food safety is everyone’s business. Everyone in the food supply chain has a role to play, to ensure food is safe for human consumption.
From handling, to cooking, to storage and preservation, it is important to think about food safety, and also make food safety a priority, so there would be reduction in cases of food contamination, food poisoning, and death.
The government and policy makers also need to integrate food safety into food policies and programmes such as Nutrition and Food Security, in order to ensure that food is safe domestically and internationally.

In summary are some food safety tips;

• Use safe water and ingredients to cook food
• Wash hands, surfaces and equipments before preparing food
• Wash raw fruits and vegetables before eating or cooking
  Store food items at the appropriate temperature
• Maintain a clean environment and dispose waste properly
  Separate raw food from cooked food
• Check expiration dates of foods or drinks before buying or consuming
• Try to study where you buy foods from

                            By: Adeola Olabode Ojo

References

World Health Organization (2022). Food Safety. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety#:~:text=Key%20facts,healthy%20life%20years%20(DALYs).

MedicineNet (2021). What is Food safety and Why is it important? Available at: https://www.medicinenet.com/what_is_food_safety_and_why_is_it_important/article.htm

The Guardian (2019). Tackling poor food safety practices. Available at: https://guardian.ng/features/tackling-poor-food-safety-practices/

BBC News (2015). Unsafe food is ‘growing global threat’, says WHO. Available at: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/health-32130767.amp

DownToEarth (2019). Dangers of artificial ripening of fruits and vegetables. Available at: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.downtoearth.org.in/news/food/amp/dangers-of-artificial-ripening-of-fruits-and-vegetables-66753

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