NAFDAC Warns Nigerians against Consumption of Imported Frozen Foods

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against consumption of imported frozen foods especially frozen Chicken and Turkey because it has been discovered to be causative factor in non- communicable diseases (NCDs) and antibiotics resistance.

NCDs include cancer, kidney disease, and hypertension among others. NAFDAC Director General, Dr Paul Orhii gave this warning at a media briefing in Lagos.

Orhii explained that imported smuggled chickens and turkeys have been found to contain substances that can cause one to kidney, liver and lung diseases as well as certain types of cancers and drug resistance- bacterial infections.

A study titled “Prevalence, Quality and Acceptability of Frozen Poultry Meat in Major Cities in Nigeria” titled by experts from University of Ibadan titled “, was presented.

Orhii said: “Our studies have found that most of these smuggled chickens or smuggled poultry products, may be because the way they are transported or because they are not properly packaged, they contain some contaminants and that is why we are discouraging members of the public from consuming them.

We are particularly concerned about the high level of antibiotics residue, because these can cause drug resistance, resistance to antibiotics.”

Orhii also added that NAFDAC would begin strict enforcement of the ban on imported poultry products.

The study was carried out Prof. Olumide Tewe (lead researcher),Prof.S.S.Abiola (meat technologist), Dr.O.AAbu (nutritional enzymologist), Dr.C.I.Alarima (agriculture extensionist), Dr.O.A.Olabisi (public health specialist), Mr.S, Adelani (chief technologist) and Mr. R. A. Aromoye (administrative assistant).

Tewe explained that

“It was discovered that the foreign poultry products contain high levels of formaldehyde, as well as high levels of metals and other substances which are lethal to the human body as against the locally bred poultry products which did not contain such substances.

Heavy metals (which have been found to be present in imported or smuggled meat) may cause toxicity-related mutagenesis (mutation), carcinogenesis (cancer) and other severe health hazards. Others (result of heavy metals) are cardiovascular diseases, skin disorders, and neurotoxicity lung and nasal cancer in humans”