…As Food Vendors Urged to Adhere to WHO’s Five Keys to Food Safety
In a collaborative effort to combat foodborne illnesses and improve consumer safety, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, in conjunction with OSOA Foods, has organized a sensitization campaign for food vendors and stakeholders in Lagos State.
The event, held at Bakare Dawodu Bello Market, Ifako-Gbagada, marked the joint commemoration of World Food Safety Day and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Day. It brought together agencies including NAFDAC, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, LASEPA, LAWMA, and the Lagos State Safety Commission.
Speaking at the forum, Mr. Aina Olugbenga of NAFDAC highlighted the importance of adhering to the World Health Organization’s five keys to safer food: keeping clean, separating raw and cooked food, cooking thoroughly, storing food at safe temperatures, and using safe water and raw materials. He urged vendors to strictly comply to reduce foodborne risks.
In his welcome address, CEO of OSOA Foods, Mr. Solomon Oyeniran, described food safety as a growing global concern. Citing WHO statistics, he noted that 600 million people fall ill annually from foodborne diseases, leading to significant economic losses. He stressed that informed practices by food vendors could drastically cut these numbers.
Oyeniran also disclosed that OSOA Foods has signed an MOU with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to take its safer food campaign to all 774 LGAs in Nigeria, while awaiting a formal response from the Lagos State Ministry of Health for rollout across the 20 LGAs and 37 LCDAs in Lagos.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health, represented by Mrs. Kayode Tomilayo, emphasized the dangers of unsafe food practices, from premature ripening of produce to loss of iodine in exposed salt. She urged vendors to prioritise hygiene and safety.
Other speakers, including Mrs. Kikelomo Ibraheem and Mrs. Abiola Abiola from the Lagos State Safety Commission, as well as Mr. Mustapha Kazeem from LAWMA and Miss Gbededo Owa from LASEPA, reiterated the importance of hygiene, waste management, recycling, and environmental awareness in food safety.
The Acting Iyaloja of Bakare Dawodu Bello Market, Lady Evangelist Julianah Osalusi, thanked the organisers and urged fellow vendors to adopt the safer food practices advocated at the event.