Researcher tasks NAFDAC, SON on substandard foods, drinks
SON, NAFDAC and the Ministry of Water Resources should rise to the challenges of ensuring that foods, drinks, water and the environment do not contain toxicants and chemical carcinogens beyond acceptable limits.
A researcher, Prof. Polycarp Okafor, has called on relevant agencies of the Federal Government to pay close attention to the quality of foods and drinks in the market.
Okafor, who made the call in an interview in Umuahia on Monday, said the move was to avoid dangers associated with food and drink toxicity.
He, therefore, challenged regulatory bodies such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to act fast.
According to him, SON, NAFDAC and the Ministry of Water Resources should rise to the challenges of ensuring that foods, drinks, water and the environment do not contain toxicants and chemical carcinogens beyond acceptable limits.
The don, a Professor of Biochemical Toxicology at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia, said the limit was set by Codex Alimentarius Commission.
He explained that "the commission is a joint international body of Food and Agricultural Organisation and World Health Organisation of which Nigeria is a member."
Okafor recently delivered his inaugural lecture on "Metabolism of Cassava Cyanide and Jim Jones Cyanide in Humans: The Imperative of Food Safety in the Quest for Food Security."
The lecturer, who said he had spent over 27 years doing research on metabolism of cassava cyanide, pointed out that investigation on cassava should be a priority for the nation because of its economic and nutritional benefits.