Lagos govt reiterates commitment to food, safety hygiene compliance

The Lagos State Government, in collaboration with Food Administration Organization of the United Nations and the Federal Ministry of Health, has reiterated its commitment to ensure strict compliance by industries with food safety and hygiene requirements in the State.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary Health Care, Dr. Olufemi Onanuga, who disclosed this recently while briefing newsmen in his Office on the on-going investigation into the repackaging and relabeling of suspected expired frozen foods by Hanno Industries Limited, Ikeja noted that there is a renewed drive for food safety and hygiene campaign in the State.
Dr. Onanuga explained that as part of the State government’s efforts to strengthen the food control system and safety in Lagos, in line with the National Policy on Food Safety, the State Ministry of Health is poised to establish an inter-ministerial committee on Food Safety and Hygiene, develop and implement state policy guideline in tune with national guidelines and promote science based inspection.
Other steps to be taken by the Ministry to strengthen the food control system, according to him, include adequate provision of food probe equipment for effective control system, enhancement of collaboration with private food safety and hygiene practitioners, prompt and adequate dissemination of information on food safety and hygiene amongst stakeholders and training of organized food handlers at all levels on hazard analysis.
Onanuga stated that these efforts would be achieved through adequate funding of food safety programmes and collaboration with public and private food safety experts, adding that enforcement activity would also be intensified to ensure strict compliance with minimum food safety and hygiene requirements.
He added that the State Government, through the Directorate of Occupational Health in the State Ministry of Health, is responsible for providing an enabling institutional and regulatory environment for food control system in Lagos.
The Special Adviser revealed that the Occupational Health Directorate has already conducted sensitization and training for food handlers at various levels, stressing that no fewer than 15,000 food handlers at the grassroots and about 250 food handlers in corporate sector have been sensitized as part of efforts to reduce food related diseases in the State.
“I must also reiterate that the occupational health and safety enforcement officers in the Ministry inspected over 1,000 food handling/storage establishments in the State annually in order to ensure strict compliance with minimum food safety and hygiene requirements, however, some establishments who engage in nefarious activities tactically prevent routine inspection of their premises”, he said.
While enjoining members of the public to be vigilant at all times and intimate the Ministry of any acts or condition that might be harmful to public health, Onanuga maintained that the State is committed to the promotion of international trade and investment but will not compromise the sanitary and phytosanitary measures guiding food safety and hygiene in Lagos.
“The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry, is committed to the protection of the health of all residents with the collective responsibility of all Lagosians to pass information that will be useful in achieving this goal”, the Special Adviser said.