Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has advised Nigerians against storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.
She warned that prolonged storage increases the risk of contamination by disease-causing pathogens, which can lead to severe foodborne illnesses and potentially death.
This caution was conveyed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, in observance of the 2024 World Food Safety Day. The theme for this year’s event is “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected.”
World Food Safety Day, celebrated annually on June 7, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018. It aims to raise awareness and promote efforts to prevent, detect, and address public health risks associated with unsafe food.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised that food safety is crucial not only for public health but also for economic development and food security. She called on all stakeholders in the food supply chain to adopt a comprehensive food safety culture in their operations to reduce hazards and risks.
“Cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days is susceptible to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, which are key agents of foodborne diseases that can lead to death,” Adeyeye cautioned.
She highlighted the collective responsibility of ensuring food safety, urging everyone from producers to consumers, to adhere to safe food handling practices. “Let us all stay true to the statements ‘food safety is everyone’s business’ and ‘food safety is a shared responsibility’ as we celebrate this year’s World Food Safety Day,” she said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 600 million people—almost one in 10 globally—fall ill after consuming contaminated food each year, with 420,000 fatalities, resulting in the loss of 33 million healthy life years. WHO also noted that unsafe food leads to annual productivity losses and medical expenses amounting to $110 billion in low- and middle-income countries.
Mrs. Eva Edwards, Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, echoed these concerns, stating that while foodborne diseases are costly, they are preventable. She stressed the importance of food safety as essential for human life and warned that improper handling can make food harmful.
Edwards called for a multisectoral, collaborative, and integrated one-health approach to food safety, involving health, agriculture, and environment sectors, government tiers, external partners, and non-governmental organizations. “Let’s all play our part in promoting good hygiene practices in our homes, communities, and food establishments. Together we can ensure a safer and healthier food supply for everyone,” she noted.
