FG set to establish food safety cadre to tackle unsafe practices

The Federal Government will facilitate the establishment of a professional cadre for food, science and technology, in order to strengthen food safety monitoring.

The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this at a news conference to mark the 2026 World Science Day for Peace and Development in Abuja.

Udeh said the establishment would help curb unsafe food handling practices across the country, adding that the proposed cadre would ensure the deployment of qualified food science and technology professionals across government institutions.

According to him, this is particularly at the state and local government levels, to monitor food processing, preservation, storage and distribution.

”Nigeria produced about 3,000 food science and technology professionals annually from approximately 70 tertiary institutions, but their expertise is not being adequately utilised.

“The absence of an established professional cadre has constrained the effective deployment of these professionals, particularly in the public service.

“We have sufficient hands to handle food processing and safety, but we are not effectively utilising them.”

The minister acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) and the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology towards securing the establishment of the cadre.

He urged relevant government institutions to conclude outstanding approvals and administrative processes to support the council’s regulatory mandate.

He expressed concern over unsafe food practices, including the use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits, dichlorvos (Sniper) to preserve beans and grains and paracetamol to soften meat.

Other unsafe food practices include prohibited colourants such as Sudan IV to adulterate palm oil, among others.

Udeh while citing the World Health Organisation (WHO) figures said unsafe food could cause more than 200 diseases, as foodborne illnesses remained a major global health and economic concern.

“Food must sustain life, not endanger it. One of the most important common grounds of humanity is food,” he said.

He urged food businesses and regulatory institutions to engage qualified, NiCFoST-licensed professionals in food production management, quality assurance, raw material handling, processing and storage.

He also called on state and local governments to strengthen food inspections in markets, restaurants, abattoirs and other food outlets.

”They should adopt the council’s food safety operational manual and provide the personnel and logistics required for effective enforcement,” he stressed.

The minister said the ministry was promoting locally developed technologies for safer food processing, preservation, storage and packaging.

He added that shared community processing facilities would be promoted to enable small-scale food operators access appropriate technologies at affordable or at no cost.

He further called for affordable hygienic packaging methods, particularly for garri, which he said was often exposed to dust, insects and other contaminants in open market containers.

He further announced plans to convene a high-level national food system stakeholders’ meeting to strengthen coordination among government institutions and stakeholders across the food value chain.

The Registrar of NiCFoST, Mrs Veronica Ezeh, demonstrated a simple screening procedure for detecting Sudan IV, a prohibited industrial dye used to adulterate palm oil.

Ezeh said the demonstration showed how the presence of the colourant could be identified, while stressing the need for trained food science and technology professionals to conduct appropriate tests and inspections at grassroots level.

She called for the employment and deployment of food science and technology professionals across the three tiers of government to strengthen food inspection, promote safe storage and processing practices, and protect consumers.

NAN reports that the 2026 World Science Day is celebrated under the theme, “Common Ground Through Science Diplomacy”.