Agricultural Science Research Journals Vol. 2(7), pp. 384-389, July 2012 Available online at http://www.resjournals.com/ARJ ISSN-L:2026-6073© 2012 International Research Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Food safety regulations: reducing the risk of foodborne diseases in rural communities of Abia state, Nigeria G.E. Ifenkwe Department of Rural Sociology and Extension, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract
Most kitchens, grocery stores and catering houses, especially those in rural communities, will fail abysmally if subjected to hygiene and food safety tests. This is in terms of meals/drinks served and cleanliness of tables, table cloths, utensils, and servers. Nigerian press reports is replete with cases of hospitalization and death arising from use of adulterated and fake food/drugs, and fatalities from use of banned food storage chemicals. Concern for the prevalence of food-borne ill-health, and the need to reduce the risk and losses associated with them, therefore, prompted this study which reviewed food safety legislative provisions in Abia State. The finding shows that although pragmatic steps have been taken in the state to address an aspect of food security (increasing food production to prevent hunger) in the issue of food safety, another aspect of food security, received only tangential legislative attention. The paper notes that even though Nigeria has over nine food laws, the problem lies with implementation of these laws. It, therefore, recommends that the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the food agency in Nigeria be given additional support to enable her extend surveillance and awareness-creation activities to the grassroots. Keywords: Food security, Functional foods, Food legislation, Food safety, Food-borne infections.
INTRODUCTION Food, a basic necessity of life, derives its importance from the fact that it stimulates the appetite, and supplies a variety of ingredients that give energy (carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber); replace worn out tissues, thus promoting growth (protein); and help in preventing and curing diseases (vitamins and minerals). The concept of healthy eating for healthy living and longevity (Akobundu, 1999) is not new A national survey by the National Bureau of Statistics on food expenditure by states and commodity types has shown that Nigerians spent double (N110, 300,796) on food as against nonfood items (N59, 190,093) such as clothing, footwear, rent, fuel/light, household goods, health, transport, education, entertainment and drinks (NBS, 2007). Protein foods were found to be the most expensive food commodities (N24, 136,671), followed by cereals (N23, 432,085), and processed food (N15, 376,021).
Apart from serving a biological need, food has become an economic and political weapon (Omotayo and Denloye, 2002; Agbamu, 2009). Issues of food security and poverty have been recognized as necessary conditions for the creation of a stable socio-political environment for sustainable economic development (Jibrin, 2004). It is, therefore, not surprising that eradication of extreme poverty and hunger is one of the eight millennium development goals set to be achieved by 2015. Human nutrition basics require that food be consumed in an unbound, reduced and wholesome form so as to facilitate digestion, absorption and excretion. It also requires that food consumed to promote good health does not constitute any form of health hazard or such nutrition disorders as obesity, underweight, iron deficiency, dental caries and allergies. Others are
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attention deficit, hyperactivity, disorder autism, spectrum disorder, dietary fat and cardiovascular disease (Mahan and Escott-Stump, 2004). Dietary needs are dictated by physical, physiological, pathological and other conditions, including the condition of disease, convalescence, pregnancy and lactation. Others are infancy, allergy, hypersensitivity to food, underweight and the need to control sodium intake. Food safety is a serious issue globally, with legislative and administrative organs of government playing regulatory and surveillance roles. The United Nations (UN) specialized agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) helps member countries to apply food standards in order to protect consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) also regulate food safety, while the Cooperative Extension Programme of the USDA, through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Programme (EFNEP) serves low income families to address such issues as child care, nutrition education, food preservation, food safety and budgeting (Mahan and Escott-Stump, 2004). The Federal Ministries of Health and Agriculture, Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) play similar roles. Social Epidemiology of food-related diseases Nigeria has over the years grappled with the problem of food-borne diseases with their attendant social, economic and health costs. Food-borne diseases are diseases resulting from consuming food and beverages. Social epidemiology, in the context of this paper, refers to the incidence and prevalence of food-borne disease. Whereas the former refers to the number of new cases that occur within a given society, the latter is the total number of cases existing at a given time (Schaefer, 2007). Until recently, nutrition-related diseases were superstitiously explained (Akobundu 1999). The most vulnerable include children under the age of five, pregnant women, people over the age of 70, and people with compromised immune systems (Awake, 2012). Food-borne diseases pose more risk than vector-borne diseases (malaria, yellow fever, plague etc); water contact diseases (Leptosipirosis, schistosomiasis); aerosolized or soil contact diseases (lassa fever); respiratory diseases (meningococcal meningitis); and animal contact diseases (rabies) (CIA, 2001). The epidemiology of food-borne diseases can be viewed from the functionalist and interactionist theoretical perspectives. The functionalist theory, which proponents include Talcott Parsons, views society, the largest form of human group living in the same territory and sharing a common heritage/culture, as stable and well integrated.
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Consequently, as members of a society play different roles, they maintain friendship and communication networks, the resultant interaction leading to high epidemiology of diseases. Health and environmental studies and discourse have implicated bacteria more than other pathogens and parasites (viruses, fungi, platyhelminths, nematodes, protozoa) for causing food-borne diseases (USDA, 2008; Humphrey et al., 2007); poisonous chemicals; harmful mycotoxins and mycotoxicoses (aflatoxin, altertoxins citrinin; citreoviridin etc); parasites (platyhelminths, nematodes, protozoa, etc); natural toxins that occur naturally in plants, animals and other food substances (capsaicin, sulfur, phytohaemagglutinin etc). However, the most commonly recognized bacterial pathogens are shown in Table 1. The major food or water-borne diseases in Nigeria include hepatitis, a viral disease which affects the liver and which is spread through food or water contaminated with faeces causing jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and dark colored urine; and typhoid fever, a bacterial disease which is also spread through food or water contaminated by faeces leading to high fever and death. FoodNet data of the United States of America shows that the spectrum of food-borne diseases is dynamic (constantly changing) because microbes can easily spread around the world, new microbes can evolve, the environment and ecology are changing, food production practices and consumption habits change, and because better laboratory tests can now identify microbes that were previously unrecognized. Precautionary measures for preventing or reducing the risk of food-borne diseases include thorough cooking of food; avoiding crosscontamination of foods by washing hands, utensils and cutting boards after they have been in contact with raw meat or fish and before they touch another food; chilling or refrigerating left-over foods; and washing food and hand regularly. The Problem Global incidence of food-borne diseases is quite alarming. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) estimates show an annual occurrence of 47.8 million, 2 million and 750,000 food- borne illnesses in the United States, United Kingdom and France respectively. It is also estimated that in Australia, there are 5.4 million cases of food-borne illnesses every year, causing 18,000 hospitalizations, 120 deaths, 21 million lost days off work, 1.2 million doctor consultations and 300,000 prescriptions for antibiotics. It is doubtful if Nigeria’s food epidemiology has fared better considering the fact that a large quantity of food produced and distributed in Nigeria today get to the consumers in an unwholesome condition. This is as a
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Table 1. Common food-borne bacterial pathogens and associated diseases S/NO 1.
Bacterial strain Campylobacter jejuni
2.
Clostridium botulinum
3.
Clostridium (cafeteria germ)
4.
Esherichia coli
Contaminated water, raw milk, raw beef, uncooked fruits and vegetables
5.
Salmonella
Raw or undercooked eggs, poultry and meat, dairy products, seafood.
6.
Streptococcus A
Poor hygiene, raw milk, ice cream eggs, lobster, salads, custard
7.
Listeria monocytogens
8.
Shigella
Cheese, raw milk, ice cream, raw leafy vegetables, meat, poultry products Faecal-oral route, fecal contamination of food. Poor personal hygiene
9.
Staphylococcus aureus
perfringens
Mode of transmission Contaminated water, raw milk, raw or undercooked meat, poultry or shell fish. Improperly canned foods, garlic in oil, vacuum-packaged and tightly wrapped food Left-over food
Improper food handling
Symptoms Fever, headache muscle pain, diarrhea, nausea abdominal cramps Nervous disorder, double vision, droopy eyelids, difficulty breathing Diarrhea, Gas pains Bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps nausea, malaise kidney failure. Profuse bleeding. Stomach pain diarrhea, nausea, chills, fever, headache Sore throat, painful swallowing, tonsilities, high fever, headache nausea, vomiting malaise Fever, chills, headache, backache abdominal pain diarrhea, meningitis Dysentery, fever abdominal cramps Diarrhea, chills vomiting Severe nausea, abdominal cramps vomiting, diarrhea
Control Method. Antidiarrheal medication, Fluid intake, Improved hygiene Proper handling of food.
Anti diarrheal medication Cooking food thoroughly Antidiarrheal medication, Fluid intake
Thorough food
cooking
of
Improved hygiene
Antidiarrheal medication, Fluid intake Anti -diarrheal Medication, Fluid intake, Improved hygiene Improved hygiene proper food handling.
Source: USDA (2007)
result of poor handling methods, inefficient processing, equipment and storage practices, high ambient tropical temperature and humidity conditions. These factors promote rapid bacterial decomposition, fungal contamination, and insect infestation, resulting in dietary inadequacies, excesses, and imbalances. Considering Nigeria’s food epidemiology, the country can be said to be facing food crises. According to the United Nation’s Administrative Committee on Coordination/Sub-Committee on Nutrition (ACC/SCN), a household is food secured when it has ‘adequate’ food needed for a healthy life for its members, and when it is not at undue risk of losing such access (ACC/SCN, 1991). The situation in Nigeria today is more critical because people now eat outside their homes more
frequently, and microbes spread and evolve more rapidly. This paper (i) reviewed food safety provisions in Nigeria, (ii) examined legislative concerns for maintaining food safety in Abia State, Nigeria between 1999 and 2011 (iii) examined efforts made to comply with food safety regulations in the state and (iv) recommended measures for ensuring food safety for domestic consumption. METHODOLOGY This is a review research. The process involved perusal of several documents including food manufacturing business directories, FAO corporate document
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Table 2: Laws passed by the Abia State House of Assembly from May 1999-May 2011. S/No 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.
Focus Finance/Internal revenue/Contingency funds Health Community-based poverty reduction project law Environmental protection/Rural water Supply/Environment sanitation agency law Abia State child rights/education law Infrastructural development/physical planning/estate Development/Lands instruments preparation law Gaming and lottery Transport/Road safety Judiciary Abia State Planning Commission/Creation of new L.G.A. law Petroleum/Oil mineral development Salaries/Pension Security/Emergency management agency/Vigilante group Appropriation/Supplementary appropriation Abia authentication/Registered bonds/Transition law. Relocation of market/Commodity market law
Frequency 3 2 4 3
Percentage (%) 2.91 1.94 3.88 2.91
7 6
6.79 5.82
1 6 5 2 1 2 11 25 23 2
0.97 5.82 4.85 1.94 0.97 1.94 10.67 24.27 22.33 1.94
Source: Laws passed by the Abia State House of Assembly, May 1999-May 2011.
repository, NAFDAC website and activities, and Abia legislative documents for a list of food regulations, causes and magnitude of post-harvest losses in Nigeria, and laws passes by the Abia Sate House of Assembly for a period of twelve years (1999-2011). Data obtained from these sources were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency distribution and percentages, and the result tabulated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION I. Food Safety Provisions in Nigeria. It is the duty of every government to protect the society and community, and this is done by providing rules and regulations which are known as laws (Apara, 1982). The study shows that there has been considerable administrative provision for food safety in Nigeria over the years. Specific laws enacted to ensure food safety in Nigeria include: The public health law/ordinance cap 164 (1917/1958), Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) Decree (1971), the Food and Drugs Decree, No. 35 (1974), the Animal Disease Control Decree, No. 10 (1988), and the Marketing of Breast Milk Substitute Decree, No. 41, (1990). Others are Consumer Protection Council Decree No. 66 (1992), National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Decree, No 15 (1999), and the Counterfeit/Fake drugs/unwholesome processed Food Decree, No 15,
1999. Action taken by NAFDAC in proven circumstances of violation includes burning of products and banning of such establishments from operating. In the fight against the influx of unwholesome products, NAFDAC has conducted workshops on packaged water, fruit juices and other water-based drinks; currently runs public enlightenment jingles cast in English language in the network stations of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN); releases educative periodic publication of blacklisted companies who do not conform to certified healthy practices; reconstituted its legal unit for litigation of food safety offenders; and has held advocacy and solidarity meetings with law enforcement agencies. The lead food safety agency in Nigeria today is the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), charged with responsibilities, including regulation and control of the manufacture, importation, exportation, advertisement, distribution, sale and use of all processed packaged food, water and other beverages in Nigeria (Edwards, 2009). Enacted through legislative action, executive fiat or by initiative of such organizations as NAFDAC are regulations that provide for licensing and registration of food premises, importation and exportation of food, labeling of food, advertisement of food, sampling procedures and closure of unhygienic food premises. Others are health control of food handlers, irradiation of food, marketing of breast milk substitutes, anti/post mortem examination of food animals and quarantine
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measures. II. Contributions of Abia Legislature to food safety Nigeria’s second-tier political leadership structure has the State Executive Council as the highest policy-making body; the State House of Assembly is the legislative arm of government, and the Judiciary, the arm of government responsible for the dispensation of justice. The three arms of government work for the overall development of the State. Documentary analysis showed that the Abia legislature in her proceedings passed a total of 103 laws between 1999 and 2011. (Table 2). The highest number was in 2009 (17.48%), and the least in 2003 (1.94%).The strategic role of agriculture in Abia State development, and food in the promotion of good health notwithstanding, issues relating to food security (food production, preservation, processing, safety etc) were tangential in Abia State legislative agenda during the period. This is as deplorable as it is unfortunate given the generalized, timely and important nature of the topic to the large segment of the human population. Findings also showed that laws dealing with allocation of funds predominated (24.3%), followed by Abia authentication/transition bond law (22.3%). Other areas that received legislative attention were security/emergency management agency law (10.7%), transport/road safety (5.83%), infrastructure development/physical planning (5.83%), and judiciary (4.85%). The legislature even showed concern for one of the vulnerable groups, the children, hence the promulgation of education laws and child rights laws (6.79%). Burning issues such as prohibition of terrorism and kidnapping, banning of commercial motor cycle operators (Okada) and relocation of commodity markets have recently attracted the attention of Abia State House of Assembly and they were always in the news. III. Compliance with Food Legislation Some food safety regulations are readily obeyed because they accord to individuals or corporate organizations’ tastes; while for others, compliance can be seen from equity or humanitarian point of view, or obtained by duress. For example, business premises registration legalizes such businesses. By this provision, food businesses are licensed, and the license is renewed annually through revenue contractors. Infraction of this regulation attracts unpleasant consequences, including prosecution, and this is why compliance with this food regulation seems to be high. Secondly, food safety law requires that food be advertised for sale. There is ready compliance with this regulation through the print and electronic media.
Companies advertise strategically for pecuniary gains and not under duress because by this means, they control ‘taste formation’, creating a need and, therefore, a demand for their products (Haralambos and Heald, 2006). The fact remains that both product reputation and corporate/institutional advertisement, as high intensity consumer information activity, highlight superlative qualities of projected ideas, product and services, and help businessmen achieve higher returns (Ifenkwe, 2010). Thirdly, compliance with the legislation on labeling of food is high especially for durable commodities, but low for perishable food items. Misbranding, that is, having false and misleading statements on food and drug labels is seen as a criminal act especially for product bearing health claims. Basic information required by law on food labels, according to the Oxford Handbook of Nutrition and Dietetics (OHND), include product name, ingredient list and quantity, qualitative ingredient declaration, allergenic ingredients and shelf life. Others are storage instructions, name and address of manufacturers, packers or seller, country of origin, weight or volume and instructions for use (OHND, 2006). CONCLUSION Food security analysis hinges on a tripod-quantity, quality and safety. This paper notes a steady rise in Nigeria’s agricultural profile, food production practice and food consumption habits. The high rate of food incidents in Nigeria suggests that the regulation against unwholesome (fake, adulterated, sub-standard) food is to some extent being violated by food manufacturers and handlers. Given also the rise in the number of Nigerians eating out, there is urgent need for the legislature as a powerful source of law to realize that food business is a serious business, and reposition itself for effective service delivery to enhance food safety in Abia State. In addition to monitoring violation of food safely regulations, other areas of urgent attention includes making laws against indiscriminate sinking of boreholes or siting of animals pens in order to reduce water-borne diarrheal and zoonotic diseases in Abia State; or those that will forge inter-ministerial collaboration and cooperation, and consequently proactive measures, provide emergency action and scientific investigation should there be an outbreak, and to forestall future occurrence respectively. There is need to further materially and financially support NAFDAC, SON and other organizations that fight against activities that pose imminent risk to public health. NAFDAC’s activities should go beyond destruction of identified unwholesome products to organizing awareness-creation workshops on principles of food safety for farmers, homemakers and operators of commercial food facilities (food vendors, hoteliers and canteen operators).
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Finally, local governments in Abia State should be proactive regarding food safety matters. Strengthening the public health facility in their local health jurisdiction would enable them detect individual or sporadic outbreak of food-borne illnesses quite early and this will, to a large extent, reduce the incidence and prevalence of foodrelated ailments in Abia State. REFERENCES ACC/SCN (1991). Some options for improving nutrition in the 1990s. Sub-Committee on Nutrition (SCN) News No 7 p 119. Akobundu ENT (1999) Healthy food in human nutrition Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment Vol, 1 number 1, June 1999 Anderson RN (2001). Deaths: leading causes for 1999, Nall Vital Statistical Report 49 (11): 8 Apara A (1982). The Law is for All. Fourth Dimension Publishing Co. Ltd. Enugu, Nigeria. Awake (2012) is year food really safe? Vol. 93, number 6, June 2012 Watch Tower Bible and Track Society of Nigeria. CIA (2011). World Factbook. Major Infectious diseases. http//www.indexmundi.com/Nigeria/major_infectiousdiseses.html. Edwards E (2009). Food Safety-The Nigerian Experience. http://www.slideshare.net/worldtap/food-safetyNigeria(accessed 9/28/2011). Haralambos M, Heald RM (2006). Sociology-themes and perspectives. Oxford University Press, New Delhi, India. Humphrey T, O’brien S, Madsen M (2007). Campylobacters as zoonotic pathogens: A food production perspective (http://www.sciencedirect.com/sceince) Int. J. of Food Microbiology 117 (3): 237. Ifenkwe GE (2010). Strategic advertising for enhanced agribusiness development in Abia State, Nigeria. Global Approaches to Extension practice, Vol. 6, No. 1, A Journal of Agricultural Extension, Nigeria. Jibrin A (2004). Global food security. Excerpt of Obasanjo’s speech. In Obasanjo and the New Face of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy. M.O.D. Press and publishers, Kaduna. Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S (2004). Krause’s Food, nutrition and th diet therapy, 11 Edition Elsevier, USA. NBS (National Bureau of Statistics) (2007) Consumption Pattern in Nigeria. Lagos
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