COALITION of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) against trans-fat in Nigeria, particularly the industrially-produced trans-fatty acids has called on the general public to reject foods made with the hydrogenated oil.
The coalition consisting of the Environmental Rights Action/ Friends of the Health Nigeria (FoEN), Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Nigeria Heart Foundation and the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) said hydrogenated fats could cause cardiovascular diseases and cancer if urgent actions were not taken to regulate the use, especially by fast food operators.
“In the last decade, we have watched with consternation and loathed how the food industry inundated our shores with industrially-produced trans fats to the detriment of the health of citizens of this nation,” Akinbode Oluwafemi, Deputy Executive Director of ERA/FoEN said.
He was speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a briefing organised by the group.
“Cases of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, obesity and other illnesses hitherto strange to our land have suddenly become rampant among Nigerians and particularly threatening the old who should be resting after putting their productive years into serving the nation, and the young and vibrant generation who are supposed to be on the drivers’ seat in nation building.”
According to him, in 2010, about 1,300 Nigerians died from causes attributed to high trans-fat intake, stressing that except legislation is put in place to checkmate the food industry’s love and use of industrially-produced trans fats, another major public health crisis may berth.
“The issue of trans-fat is the story of a slow poison in our food chain. We can no longer fold our arms and watch our lives cut short by this deadly product. The government must wake up and act, the citizens also must act by rejecting foods with trans-fat.”
However, he noted that the coalition is putting pressure on the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to approve the Fats and Oils Regulation 2019.
Jerome Mafeni, Project Adviser Trans fat, in his remarks listed ailments such as heart disease, hypertension, blockage of the arteries, kidney disease among others that could become serious medical issues for those consuming the industrialised trans-fats.
He explained that the Federal Government has already started the process by setting a two percent limit of trans-fat from total fat content in all foods.
“They convert the oil from the liquid state to a solid state so that it can have the capacity to withstand very deep fry and very long shelf life. Because they are industrially produced, they help industries to basically produce foods in large quantities and very efficiently. It has been going on for a while but we feel it needs to be stopped.”
“These trans fatty acids have the potential to cause heart disease, stroke, hypertension, blockage of the arteries. It also has the potential to cause kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancers. They can cause so many damages, so really, we don’t have any reason to have them in our food supply,” Mafemi explained.
The coalition, however, demanded a need for the Federal Government to declare an emergency in the food sector and commence massive awareness of the dangers of industrially-produced trans fats intake
The food activists urged the NAFDAC to reflect the recommendations of civil societies and other critical stakeholders in the draft Fats and Oils Regulation 2019 and the Pre- Packaged Foods, Water and Ice Labeling Regulations 2019 to ensure they are in sync with the World Health Organisation (WHO) – recommended standards
Also, they tasked the NAFDAC Governing Council to finalise and speedily approve the regulation for gazetting.
Meanwhile, the NAFDAC has developed the draft of the Fats and Oils Regulation 2019 and the Pre- Packaged Foods, Water and Ice Labeling Regulations 2019, also currently hosted on the agency’s website for public input till 9th March, 2020.
“We support this process, and are ready to sustain our cordial relationship with the agency to see the regulations through to when we anticipate its Governing Council will approve them,” the coalition said.
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at oadanikin@icirnigeria.org. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin