Critical stakeholders in the health sector have blamed high salt intake for the spate of sudden deaths among Nigerians.
The stakeholders under the aegis of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) argued that
loopholes in existing food safety policies and regulatory mechanisms have greatly impacted the quality of food produced, marketed, and consumed by the populace.
CAPPA Executive Director, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi said this at a press briefing titled “Bouillion fortification: public health versus profit” held on Thursday in Abuja.
He disclosed that Nigeria presently records an average daily salt consumption reaching up to 10 grams per day, dangerously exceeding the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended limit of 2 grams of sodium per day or less than 5 grams of salt per day, which is equivalent to just one teaspoon of salt daily.
Lamenting the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and the rising ‘slump attack’ in the country, he faulted the claim by the National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey (NFCMS) that Bouillon cubes remains a food vehicle for delivering iron and Zinc to households in order to combat micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria.
The stakeholders maintained that NFCMS’s position defies WHO’s criteria for food vehicle selection which states that a suitable food vehicle must not pose a threat to public health.
They contended that fortifying another high sodium food such as bouillon puts Nigerians at risk of a higher sodium intake adding that it is unfortunate that industry players and
their co-travellers are disseminating unverified scientific information, false research claims and spreading deceptive marketing information through social media influencers to
promote Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) and bouillon as nutritious, safe and healthy for human Consumption without also informing consumers that these products contain harmful quantities of sodium which could lead to hypertension, heart, and kidney failure.
They called for the Immediate discontinuation of ongoing plans to use Bouillon as a food vehicle for fortification as it does not meet all of WHO’s criteria.
They stressed the need for collaboration between all critical agencies on ensuring that food fortification does not exacerbate Nigeria’s NCD problems through unintended consequences as well as the implementation of Front-of-Pack labels and enforcement of global best practices in the implementation of nutrient profile models for packaged foods in Nigeria
Calling on the government to regulate the marketing and promotion of high-sodium foods especially to vulnerable groups such as school children, they canvassed the implementation of effective country-wide salt/sodium reduction interventions to stem the ugly tide of the rising burden of stump attacks and hypertension in the country.
They added: “For emphasis, it is imperative that regulatory bodies such as the FMOHSW, NAFDAC, SON, and FCCPC collaborate to monitor these fortification programs to
ensure compliance with global standards and best practices, especially in the selection of food vehicles.
“it is also important for the different MDAs coordinating nutrition, food safety, and consumer protection programs in the country to collaborate closely to ensure that food policy decisions are well scrutinized to align with overall sustainable development goals and national objectives on nutrition, food safety and public health to stem the ugly tide of non-communicable diseases in the country.
“The lives of millions of Nigerians depend on these policy decisions and interventions; hence we must do all we can within our powers and in good conscience to save lives.”
NHED technical director, Dr. Jerome Mafeni who spoke in the same vein urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drugs
Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant agencies to accelerate preliminary activities for salt and sodium regulation in Nigeria.
“The time for action is now. We must prioritize public health over profit and ensure that the food products available in our markets do not pose unnecessary risks to the health of our citizens,” he noted.
Source: The Guardian NG
