NAFDAC warns vegetable oil marketers against use of chemical containers
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned vegetable oil distributors, marketers and sellers in the country against the dangers of storing their product in containers, tanks and jerry cans that have been used already for storing chemicals.
The agency also cautioned against the sale of unwholesome vegetable oil to Nigerians, saying that the health risks associated with the consumption of unsafe foods were life threatening.
Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye gave the warning in Lagos recently, during a stakeholder’s engagement with Marketers and Sellers of Edible Oil Association of Nigeria (MSEOAN) aimed at addressing gaps and safety issues in the vegetable oil sector.
According to Adeyeye, who was represented by her Technical Assistant, Mrs. Simidele Onabajo, using soap and water to wash chemical containers, tanks and jerry cans for the sale and storage of vegetable oil is not acceptable, stressing that the rising cases of kidney problems in the country can be linked to the kind of foods people consume.
Urging the marketers to desist from practices that are injurious to health, Adeyeye said: “We have called you for this meeting so that you know how to give quality and safe vegetable oil to consumers. You need to change your mindset and think about safety first.
“You must know the benefits of consuming safe and wholesome oil.
Encourage others with what you have learnt from the meeting to desist from unethical practices and sale of unwholesome oil.”
Giving an overview of food safety issues in the vegetable oil sector in his presentation, Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition of NAFDAC, Mr. Sheriff Olagunju, enjoined the marketers to sell only vegetable oil fortified with Vitamin A.
Olagunju told the stakeholders to always think about the health implication of what they do and ensure that safety is paramount in all their practices.
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He revealed that there were a lot of safety concerns with the people who are selling the product in the market in the way and manner in which they handle the product, stressing that the agency would deal decisively with erring members.
“Vitamin A is needed in the body and so it is compulsory that vegetable oil sold in our markets must be fortified and NAFDAC approved.
“It is important to know that Vitamin A deficiency affects children and pregnant women; that is why vegetable oil is one of the vehicles the federal government is using through the Federal Ministry of Health to address the problem of micro -nutrient deficiency in the country,” he stated.
He also warned the marketers to stop transporting their product with tankers belonging to the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) which he said were meant for transporting petroleum products such as diesel and fuel.
