Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has advised Nigerians against the dangers of storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.
She said, food should not be refrigerated after three days because of contamination by disease-causing pathogens that can lead to severe foodborne illnesses and even death.
This warning was issued in a statement signed by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, in conjunction with the 2024 World Food Safety Day. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’.
Prof. Adeyeye emphasised the importance of food safety in public health, economic development, and food security. She called on all stakeholders in the food supply chain to cultivate a culture of food safety to mitigate risks.
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World Food Safety Day, observed annually on June 7, was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 to raise awareness about the importance of food safety.
According to the World Health Organization, unsafe food results in 600 million cases of foodborne illness and 420,000 deaths each year globally.
Prof. Adeyeye reiterated the need for a collective responsibility towards food safety, involving everyone from producers to consumers.
Mrs. Eva Edwards, Director of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, also highlighted the preventable yet costly nature of foodborne diseases and stressed the necessity of proper food handling practices.
