The Association of Public Health Physician of Nigeria on Wednesday advised Nigerians to take necessary precautions in making food safe for consumption.
Dr Abdulsalam Abdulrasheed, a Public Health Physician of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), gave the advice when he delivered a lecture in Ilorin.
The lecture entitled: “Food Safety, from Farm to Plate: Make Food Safe”, was delivered at the 2015 World Health Day organised by the association at Kwara Ministry of Health.
Abdulrasheed said that all consumers of food were prone to food-borne diseases, and that people should ensure that food was safe at all times.
He said people should maintain strict hygiene at all times, adding that they should separate raw food from cooked food and cook food thoroughly.
“It is important to keep food at safe storage temperature and use safe water and raw materials for food preparation,” Abdulrasheed said.
According to him, safe foods are suitable products which when consumed orally either by human or animal does not cause health risks to consumers.
“Access to sufficient amount of safe and nutritional foods is key to sustaining life and promoting good health,” he said.
He warned that where food supplies were insecure to people, new threats to food safety would constantly emerge.
In his speech, Dr Kayode Osagbemi, Consultant Public Health Physician at the UITH, said the World Health Day was an opportunity to alert people working in different sectors.
Osagbemi said it was important for such sectors as agriculture, manufacturing, retailers, health practitioners as well as consumers to be informed about the importance of food safety.
He said that the association was ready to partner with stakeholders on creating awareness on the need for food safety in Nigeria.
NAN
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