US, Nigeria, retailers discuss food safety

October 23, 2015 :

   

 

Foodstuffs on display
| credits: File copy

The United States Department of Agriculture has urged stakeholders in the Nigeria’s food retail business to join the global move towards food safety.

The USDA Regional Agricultural Counsellor for Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Cameroun and Liberia, Mr. Kurt Seifarth, stated this at a workshop in Lagos, which was attended by representatives of the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control, Standards Organisation of Nigeria and National Association of Supermarket Operators.

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He advised the retailers to unite and work with the government to ensure that the food safety policy in Nigeria agrees with the World Trade Organisation’s standard.

Seifarth promised that the regulatory agencies and the USDA would help and inspire retailers.

He said, ”Nigerians can overcome challenges regarding food safety because regulations regarding the sector are targeted. NAFDAC is at the head of the new food safety policy and is in the process of rationalising food safety through a series of working groups that will take care of the implementation of the food safety policy.

“I implore you to gain more; every company should be at the table advising people working on those policies and make sure that the implementation of the rules that affect the food safety policy are modern day firm rules addressing the challenges that you have in your businesses and that they conform to the standards of the World Trade Organisation.”

The Director-General, NAFDAC, Mr. Paul Orhii, who was represented by the Deputy Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Mrs. Esther Amuta, noted that the workshop was aimed at building capacity to create and retain superior performance in the retail business in Nigeria.

Speaking on the topic, ‘Regulatory Framework for Retail Food Business in Nigeria, NAFDAC perspective’, Orhii stressed the importance of food safety to healthy living.

He said, “if you look at the name of NAFDAC, food comes first because if you eat very well, there will be no need for drugs.

“NAFDAC has a statutory mission to safeguard lives by ensuring that only the right quality of food, drugs and other regulated products are manufactured, distributed and sold in Nigeria.

“Over and under regulation can create a burden to business and hinder the effective delivery of the intended framework. That is why NAFDAC has put in place transparent framework for regulating food business in Nigeria.”

On his part, the Chairman of NASON, Solomon Onafowokan, said that owing to the revolution in the food retail business, every capital of progressive states in Nigeria could boast of a world-class shopping mall with most of NASON members as anchor tenants.

He, however, appealed to the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria to rescind the restriction order imposed on access to foreign exchange for products not readily available or manufactured in Nigeria.

He noted the situation could reverse the gains achieved from modern retailing business, which had provided the highest number of jobs for Micro Small and Medium Entrepreneurs in Nigeria.