RISING CASES OF FOOD POISONING

Regulators should do more to ensure food is properly processed, and preserved

Across the country, incidents of deaths after meals are now common. Since the causes of many of these deaths were never accurately determined, it is becoming increasingly clear that the way some foods are being processed poses serious health risks, especially to vital organs and the immune system. The most endangered are people already malnourished as they lack the proper mix of amino acids that are vital ingredients in detoxifying some of the poisons.

Perhaps more disturbing is that most of these fatal incidents are never investigated by health authorities to ascertain their causes so that lessons can be learnt. When five siblings in Anambra State recently died from suspected food poisoning, we called for a thorough investigation but up till now, there has been no report. The children reportedly ate a meal prepared by their mother before they started experiencing stomach aches, vomiting, and other symptoms, which worsened over time and were rushed to the hospital where they all died. Their mother, who also ate from the same meal, was said to be in critical condition at the time. On the average, contaminated amala, rice, beans, biscuits, and others lead to more than  30,000 deaths in a year.

The issue of food safety has for several years posed a daunting challenge in Nigeria hence an urgent need for strict compliance with laws on food preservation. For instance, experts have identified improper use of agro chemicals and pesticides to control pests on grains as one of the causes of the rising cases of food poisoning in Nigeria. Last year, the University of Ibadan released report of a study which revealed that over 50 per cent of pregnant women in some rural areas had detectable levels of pesticides in their blood. Jointly conducted by the Environmental Rights Action (ERA) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the report reveals the adverse effects of chemical poisoning cases especially concerning food-borne diseases with their attendant social, economic and health costs.

The consumption of food grains that have been laced with pesticides by vendors to preserve their shelf life and protect them from destruction by pests puts many people at risk of gastro-intestinal disorders and some types of cancers. Given the alarming rate at which people, including sometimes a whole family, eat certain food and then die, there is an urgent need for public enlightenment on the danger associated with some of the food items we consume.

Nigerians must also be made to understand that certain food can be dangerous if not properly processed. For instance, it is important that there be a campaign on cassava-based dishes which are widely consumed in Nigeria, where it is a major source of carbohydrates. They are by far the commonest meals, with popular appeal to the poor. But cassava has one major drawback: When poorly processed, the roots and leaves contain a substance named Linamarin which when eaten is converted to cyanide, a poisonous gas which could be fatal when inhaled or ingested.

The processing of cassava often employed by the traditional methods and rural women is said to be good enough to effectively contain the toxic content found in cassava, whether of the sweet or bitter variety. But these days, many producers adopt short-cut processing techniques, which turn out to endanger lives. In some cases, particularly those with high cyanide levels, mere exposure to volatile substances while being processed can cause some health disorders. The poor preparation of cassava meals, according to experts, can leave enough of this poisonous substance to cause acute intoxication, goitre and in some cases death.