Food scientists tasked on food safety, quality by NAFDAC DG

Food scientists and others involved in the production of edible items have been tasked by Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, to ensure the safety and quality of the food they produce.

She said this in Lagos while delivering a goodwill message at the 50th Conference and Annual General Meeting of the National Institute of Food Science and Technology, NIFST.

She said “I congratulate the institute on 50 years of impact, professional development and sustainable research that promotes safe nutrition and sustainable economic growth. You must be agents of change for products that are safe for consumption. We must improve the food system in Nigeria.

“Food safety and quality are critical. Innovation and public health protection must go hand in hand. New products must be developed with regard to food safety. One of the innovations we need most is to prevent waste, as over 40 percent of food items we produced are wasted.

“Collaborate with others to achieve prevention of food waste. Stop working on silos. Our laboratories are available for you to use in your research efforts,” she stated.

The President of the NIFST, Dr Bola Osinowo, expressed happiness that the institute that started with five members in 1976 at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, has become a big platform for food safety, security, and sound nutrition.

“We are the biggest collection of food scientists on the continent of Africa. The NIFST Academy is on course and we have developed 32 training programmes and are collaborating with other research institutes across the globe. Research must be translated to enterprises to create jobs and for the economic development of our nation,” he said.

The incoming president of the institute, Dr Ignatius Alaka, said his vision is to take it to greater heights.

“We are grooming food scientists who are going to be involved in how edibles are produced or processed. We do not have the power to arrest those who adulterate products, there are agencies of government doing that. However, we believe that if we groom people with conscience and ethical values to be in charge of the process and system, faking of products will be a thing of the past,” he opined.

Delivering a paper on “Research to Relevance”, to student members of the institute, Dr Sylvanus  Ogbor, said research must create national value.

“Commercialisation must become national culture, good scientists must become systems builders. Our institute is all out for food security and safety of Nigerians,” he said.

As part of the event, two new persons were invested as members Trustees of the institute. They are Eze Mike Elechi of Elele in Rivers State and business mogul, Dr Cosmas Maduka.