Nigeria - Microbial Contamination in Food Safety Laws

The issue of microbial contamination in food safety laws is not only essential for public health but also imperative for fostering consumer confidence and facilitating the growth of a resilient and sustainable food industry. This research seeks to contribute valuable insights that can guide policymakers, regulatory bodies, and stakeholders in developing more robust and adaptive legal frameworks to combat microbial threats in the realm of food safety. Various laws and regulations had been promulgated over the years to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of the nation’s food supply.

Such legislations include the following: Public Health Laws (1917) now known as Public Health Ordinance Cap 165 of 1958; The Standards Organization of Nigeria Decree No. 56 of 1971; The Food and Drug Act No 35 of 1974 and so on. The National Policy on Food Safety is to establish a national institutional framework that will consolidate all existing food safety and control systems in the country. The challenges of regulatory control of food borne toxicants range from variations in the quality of raw materials supplied to the food processors (because in many cases they are sourced separately and pooled together); having many food handlers and middlemen with the risk of practices that expose the food to contamination; inadequate infrastructure and laboratory capacity and expertise. These challenges could be addressed through public enlightenment, better coordination of roles along the food value and food supply chain, capacity building, improved infrastructure, training from the farm to the processing or preparation levels, adequately equipping the producers and regulators to perform their functions better through training and retraining in addition to providing the necessary working tools.

Author(s):   Chukwu, P. Chinyere & Ikechukwu, C.

Published in: International Journal of Innovative Legal & Political Studies