Food experts on Thursday called for multi-sectoral collaboration to strengthen Nigeria’s food system and ensure food safety as a safeguard against preventable diseases.
The experts spoke at a webinar organized by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), Lagos State Chapter, to commemorate the 2025 World Food Day (WFD).
World Food Day is observed every October 16 as a global effort to promote solidarity in the fight against poverty, malnutrition, and hunger.
This year’s theme was “Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future.”
Prof. Oluwatosin Adu, a Nutritional Biochemist at Lagos State University (LASU), emphasized the importance of food safety and the dangers of food contamination.
Speaking on the topic “Improving Hygiene and Food Safety in Food Preparation,” Adu identified personal hygiene, food handling, and environmental cleanliness as crucial factors in ensuring food safety.
He described food safety as the handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent contamination and food-borne diseases, noting that prevention was essential to protecting public health.
“Where we get our food and how we handle it are very important when we talk about food safety.
Handwashing, separating raw food from cooked food, cooking thoroughly — except for vegetables to preserve nutrients — and refrigerating food promptly are key ways to prevent contamination.
Our source of water is also critical because water is essential in our daily lives,” he said.
Adu stressed that ensuring a healthy food system required collective responsibility from all sectors of society.
“The government, policymakers, nutritionists, schools, the media, and every member of society have roles to play in building a healthy nation,” he added.
Also speaking, Dr Chioma Emma-Nwachukwu, Africa Manager, Nestlé Nutrition Institute, underscored the importance of nutritious diets for overall health and wellbeing.
Presenting on the topic “Your Food, Your Medicine,” she said the consumption of nutrient-rich foods could help reduce the risk of diseases, while unhealthy eating habits predispose individuals to illness.
She advised Nigerians to include foods rich in protein, fiber, healthy fats, fruits, plant-based foods, herbs, and spices in their daily meals to strengthen the body and boost immunity.
Emma-Nwachukwu warned against excessive consumption of processed foods, noting that research had linked them to cancers — particularly colon and breast cancers.
“Nutritious food protects the body. It’s important that we eat healthy for our overall wellbeing.
Unhealthy food is a poison to the body because every time we eat, we are either feeding disease or fighting it.
Diets high in refined grains and sugar contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, while promoting insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and other health risks,” she said.
She added that collective efforts were needed to promote healthy eating habits and improve the quality of life across communities.
