Dr James Marsh, the Executive Director, HACCP Food Safety Academy Nigeria, on Wednesday called for more improvement on food regulation to boost food safety in the country.
Marsh made the call at the graduation ceremony organised by the academy for 15 graduands in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that HACCP gives a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical and physical hazards.
“We need to always talk about food safety, because it is a matter of life and death that affect everyone.
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“We need to improve on our food regulation and safeguard the health of people, because lots have died due to what they eat.
“The food chain starts from the farmers, and if the farmers get it wrongly due to poor or inappropriate application of chemicals, there is nothing the manufacturer can do,” Marsh said.
According to him, most of the country’s food exports were rejected because of the chemical residue call MRL level.
He added that the academy was keen in training regulators to understand the concept of food safety.
“We took it upon ourselves to invest in capacity building, because most people who are into food safety, are not thoroughly trained.
“We also take our students through the practical side of food safety as the practical in most institutions are not evolving.
“So, we look at each stage of food chain, address the hazard and make sure it is brought to safe harbour before it goes to the next level, and most importantly the table,” he said.
The executive director advised the graduands not to be too subjective during inspection, saying that they have an edge over their counterparts.
“Anyone with HACCP certification has an edge over their counterparts and they must use science more, as an inspection tool, rather than been subjective.
“They have been trained for two months and this is the first of its kind,” Marsh added.
Also, Chairman of the ceremony, Prof. Olarenwaju Fagbohun, the Vice-Chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, said that there was need to train more food safety regulators.
Fagbohun, represented by Prof. Abiodun Denloye, said that HACCP certification was in line with the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s fulfillment in ensuring food safety globally.
“One of the easiest ways of getting infection is through what we put in the mouth, and one thing about hazard is all about safety.
“One of ways of contracting COVID-19 is also through the mouth; so, what we are doing today is fulfilling one of HACCP agendas to ensure food safety for all.
“There is also the need to raise a significant amount of human capacity for food safety regulation in the country.
“It is good that the Lagos State Government is also involve in this,” Fagbohun said. (NAN)