Big Brother Titans housemate Thabang Mazibuko has said that Nigerians eat weird foods. In a recent interview with HIPTV, he talked about his experience in Nigeria and extensively about the…
Tag: foods
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Over 70% Nigerian foods rejected abroad – NAFDAC
Lara Adejoro
The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye said over 70 per cent of food exports from Nigeria are rejected abroad.
She said this on Sunday, at the official commissioning of the New NAFDAC Office complex for the Murtala Muhammed International Airport/NAHCO in Lagos.
In a statement by the Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, Prof. Adeyeye said the incidence of food exports rejection from Nigeria in some European countries and the United States of America may soon become a thing of the past if collaboration between the agency and other government agencies at the ports is strengthened.
The NAFDAC DG, said the deplorable state of export trade facilitation for regulated products leaving the country has continued to be a serious cause for concern for the agency, adding that a trip to NAFDAC Export warehouses within the international airport will explain the major reason for the continuous rejection of Nigerian exports abroad.
She, however, noted that the agency is responding to the challenge by collaborating with the agencies at the Ports by ensuring that goods meet the regulatory requirements of the importing countries and destinations.
‘’The mandate to safeguard the health of the populace through ensuring that food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, chemicals, and packaged water are safe, efficacious, and of the right quality in an economy that is overwhelmingly dependent on the importation of the bulk of its finished products and raw materials could never have been actualised without the effective presence of NAFDAC at the ports and land borders,’’ she said.
Commending the Nigeria Customs Service, Prof. Adeyeye said, ‘’Without customs, we will not be able to do a lot of what we have been able to do. The collaboration between Customs and NAFDAC is huge. NAFDAC is a complex organisation. We are scientific. We are police and we work with the Department of State Services. We work with Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation because of the few unscrupulous stakeholders.
“NAFDAC collaborates with Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services to ensure that due diligence is done because over 70 per cent of the products that leave our ports get rejected. Considering the money spent on getting those products out of the country, it is a double loss for both the exporter and the country.
‘’Without the police, we cannot do much in terms of investigation and enforcement. We have over 80 policemen with us in NAFDAC. They help us a lot when we are doing raids or investigations as the case may be’’.
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Combining different foods in meals not dangerous —Nutritionists
Anthony Ademiluyi
Nutritionists have dispelled the notion that certain food combinations when eaten together may be dangerous.
They noted that claims that the combination of some foods together in meals is unhealthy are often based on myths and not backed by scientific evidence, stressing that all foods can be eaten together except in cases of allergies.
They said that as long as the foods sit well with the taste buds, it is okay to consume them.
Speaking with our correspondent, the experts, Mmesoma Ezeh, Nutritionist at NOWA Educational Centre, and Anicho Prosper, Nutritionist and Dietitian at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital said that it may be necessary to address the reasons why some people find certain foods repulsive and not generally claim the combination of foods is dangerous
Speaking with Reportr Door HealthWise, Ezeh said all foods can be eaten together as long as the tastebuds and the stomach can tolerate it, noting that except there is an allergy to the food.
She said: “Total avoidance of certain foods should be based on allergic reactions, inability to digest certain nutrients contained in certain foods, or nutritional advice from a nutritionist or dietitian to stay off certain foods for obvious health reasons.
“In cases of allergies, swelling shortness of breath, etc. If certain foods that one cannot digest are consumed, indigestion, diarrhea, and discomfort may occur.”
She stressed that people should be sensitised and educated to know that the claim that some food cannot be combined is a myth.
She said: “Nutritional Education can be done in various ways. It can be done via posting educative nutritional information on various social media platforms, and billboards. Workshops and health talks can also be organised by nutritionists or dietitians.”
Also speaking with our correspondent, Anicho Prosper said that every edible food can be eaten as people deem fit, noting that there are no restrictions to that.
He urged Nigerians to rather look into the quantity and quality of the foods they consume while also trying to ascertain the ones they may be allergic to, adding that some of the foods people may not be able to tolerate could be due to the mode of preparation, the level of flavour, and the ingredients used in their preparations.
He said: “The reason for their not being to combine some foods could include lack of tolerance and allergy. However, we must understand that foods require some vitamins and minerals for their absorption like the heme iron which requires Vitamin C for its digestion.
“The health implications of eating some foods that people are allergic to include vomiting and nausea. Like those who are allergic to eating protein-based foods( Beans, eggs, milk). Such foods could damage some of their intestinal walls or even lead to injury inside the walls of the intestine.
“Sensitisation on the reality of allergies as being the real danger of food combinations could occur via the print media, the use of food aids, community outreaches, and evidence-based nutrition (gotten from research conducted by people.”
According to a study published online by Healthline (2021), most of the claims on likely dangers from food combinations are not based on science.
The study says there is no evidence to support the idea that food combination contributes to disease or toxins in the body.
Another study published by Biting Truth (2018) said there is no scientific evidence to authenticate the veracity of food combinations problems.
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Cardiovascular Deaths: Experts urge consumption of healthy foods
The Nigerian Heart Foundation and nutritional experts have expressed concern over the increase in cardiovascular diseases and related deaths in Nigeria.
The experts, who spoke at the NHF’s Stakeholders Meeting themed ‘Lipids and Cardiovascular Health: Global Status and the Nigerian Perspective’ on Tuesday in Lagos, called for national guidelines on the production and consumption of foods and beverages.
Speaking at the meeting, Prof. Rasak Sanusi, a former Head, the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Ibadan, stressed the importance of a controlled and regulated diet to enhance cardiovascular health.
Sanusi, who was the Chairman of the occasion said: “There is a need for the development of national guidelines for the production and consumption of healthy foods with acceptable lipid concentration based on global standards and best practices.
“The quality of life cannot be described as what it was 10 or 15 years ago, there is a difference between feeding and eating. Eating is what human beings do, and feeding is what animals do.
“The difference between them is choice. When we have choices of what we eat then we are eating.
“On the other hand, when choices are removed, we are only feeding. With this definition, I wonder how many of us in Nigeria are actually eating or feeding,” Sanusi said.
Calling for the reexamining of the role of each of the stakeholders, Sanusi said that Nigerians should be informed about their cardiovascular health.
Chairman, Executive Council, NHF, Dr. Femi Mobolaji-Lawal, said: “Ultimately, what we consume affects our health. What we consume has a direct relationship with our cardiovascular system, especially our heart.
“We know that what we consume, especially the Lipids affects our heart.”
Mobolaji-Lawal said that the multi-sectorial meeting had become necessary to review evidence of what was happening globally and our experience in the country to guide policy markets and activities.
According to him, the meeting is in furtherance of the World Health Assembly and World Health Federation’s findings that cardiovascular diseases, especially hypertension is the major contributor to death.
Also speaking, Dr. Sonny Kuku, President of Non-Communicable Disease Alliance Nigeria, decried the life expectancy in Nigeria, saying cardiovascular diseases accounted for a lot of deaths in the country.
Describing the meeting as appropriate, Kuku said, “In this part of the country, we love lipid. Lipid needs to be controlled and when controlled, life expectancy can be raised to 80 years.”
Doing an overview, Prof. Isaac Adeyemi, Director, Scientific Affairs, NHF, said that the objective was to update on the current global and national status of Lipid concentration and profile in food and beverages and also the potential impacts of food on cardiovascular health.
Urging consumers to select heart health options, Adeyemi stressed the need to invest in monitoring and surveillance mechanism such as laboratory capacity to measure Trans Fatty Acids content in foods.
On challenges, he said that foods and beverages being consumed must align with global health standards, “it is important that the food industry strives as much as possible to meet national, regional, and global standards.
Adeyemi also stressed the need for an early warning system that would involve scientists, academia, and government agencies in curbing the rising incidence.
“Consumers must read the nutrition facts on food products. The industry should replace trans fats in processed food as soon as possible and where feasible with healthy alternatives,” he said.
The Executive Director, NHF, Dr. Kingsley Akinroye, said: “We want Nigerians to live long. We want Nigerians to live healthily and we want a productive population, quite a lot of our young executives have been dying suddenly.
“The commonest cause of sudden death is the heart. We want everybody to be healthy. Right from the family to the policymakers, everybody has got responsibility.
“We know that the number factor in heart disease is diet and the commonest culprit in the diet is fat. Although salt is also there, but fat is key.”
“We review what we do every four years. The last time we did this was in 2016 and so, now this is high time we fall into the global standard.
“Individuals should go take care of themselves and ensure that they check the contents of foods and beverages they buy. If it’s friendly, does it carry the logo of Nigerian Heart Foundation, among others,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the participants were drawn from all relevant agencies, academia, the food industry, research scientists, university, government, regulatory agencies, organisations, and consumers among others.
(NAN)
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Eating spicy foods in pregnancy can’t cause blindness in babies, experts say
Angela Onwuzoo
Medical and nutrition experts say there is no scientific evidence to suggest that eating spicy foods during pregnancy is dangerous and can result in blindness in babies.
According to them, no study yet has linked blindness in children to spicy food consumption during pregnancy.
They, however, said eating spicy foods might predispose pregnant women to the risk of heartburn, especially in those who had ulcers before conception.
Speaking in an interview with Reportr Door HealthWise, one of the experts and a Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, said it is untrue that consuming spicy foods during pregnancy leads to blindness in babies.
The myth suggests that spicy foods eaten during pregnancy can burn the baby’s eyes, resulting in blindness.
Prof. Onimawo, a former Vice-Chancellor, of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, said, “It is a pure fallacy. There is no research to back that kind of statement. I am not aware of any spices pregnant women should avoid. But I can say that eating spices is a bit more cultural.
“There are some people that eat a lot of spices but others don’t. They don’t like it because of the way a person is brought up.”
The don said he was not aware of any spicy food that is contraindicated in pregnancy.
Prof. Onimawo, a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria pointed out that drugs and alcohol are the things that are contraindicated in pregnancy and have harmful effects on the foetus and not spicy foods.
The nutritionist, however, urged pregnant women to eat healthily and consume more fruits and vegetables.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration, food safety is vital for everyone – but especially for pregnant women, their unborn babies, and children younger than five.
An online portal, BabyCentre says spicy foods are safe during pregnancy.
“Yes, spicy foods are safe for you and your baby when you’re pregnant. They certainly don’t make the long list of foods you should avoid when you’re expecting.
“Plenty of people (wrongly) believe that eating spicy food is dangerous, whether or not you’re pregnant. It’s not true! Spicy foods are safe, although your taste buds and digestive system may not always do well with the heat”, the centre said.
BabyCentre is an online company in the United States that provides information on conception, pregnancy, birth, and early childhood development for parents and expecting parents.
The new National President of the Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria, Dr Austin Aipoh, also corroborated Prof. Onimawo’s statement, saying the claim that eating spicy foods during pregnancy may lead to blindness in babies is just a myth and has no scientific basis.
Dr. Aipoh, a public health physician said, “For me, there is no scientific evidence to show that any of the spices that we know of causes blindness in babies. But despite that, if there are some spices that one is not sure of, a pregnant woman should avoid them.”
The physician, urged pregnant women to avoid unknown spices, adding that consuming certain spices could aggravate stomach ulcers.
The HCPAN president noted, “For heartburn, it is a possibility, pregnant women are exposed to heartburn. For people that have ulcers or gastritis, when they are pregnant, it gets worse. In such patients, if they go and take a very spicy food with plenty pepper or ginger or alligator pepper, yes, it could make them have heartburn- dyspepsia.”
BabyCentre also affirmed that spicy foods could increase the risk of heartburn in pregnancy.
“Many pregnant women suffer from heartburn, and spicy foods can aggravate it in some people. Heartburn occurs as pregnancy hormones relax the valve between the oesophagus and stomach, allowing stomach acids to creep back up into the oesophagus.
“While heartburn can happen in any trimester, it’s most common in the last trimester, as your growing baby pushes stomach acids up into the oesophagus,” the centre explained.
Researchers in a 2018 article published in Nutrients said a healthy, balanced diet during pregnancy is essential to support optimal growth and development of the fetus and the physiological changes that occur in the mother.
Nutrients is an open-access peer-reviewed scientific journal.
The researchers explained, “Fundamental aspects of healthy dietary behaviours during pregnancy include consuming foods that contain optimal amounts of energy as well as macro and micronutrients, achieving appropriate weight gain, adhering to general and pregnancy-specific food safety recommendations, and avoiding ingestion of harmful substances.”
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FG restates commitment to curbing harmful pesticides in foods
Chima Azubuike
The Federal Government has restated its commitment to reduce the negative impact of pesticides in foods, especially cowpea.
The FG stated this during the introduction of Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea named SAMPEA20T in Gombe.
The Desk Officer, Cowpea Value, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development, Uwem Ekomabasi, stated this on Tuesday during an Awareness programme on the newly released Cowpea Pod Bearer Resistant variety, noting that SAMPEA20T would help curb the overwhelming health challenges associated with harmful pesticides.
The event also witnessed the enlightenment of participants on the post-harvest handling techniques of cowpea by farmers in the North-East. About 50 participants received Storage bags- Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) at the event.
Ekomabasi said, “The benefit of Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea to North-East farmers is that this variety will significantly reduce the use of pesticides by the farmers and the farmers will have more yield because of continuous harvest. The income of the farmer is sure to improve.”
Also speaking, Prof. Mohammed Umar, Cowpea breeder, Head of Department, Department of Plant Science, Institute of Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria said the research into SAMPEA 20T lasted for about 11 years.
He said, “The one we are discussing today is the one that has resistance to the field insect while the other is storage insect weevil. The one that destroys the seed at the storage level but it is carried from the field to the store
“We saw the need to also address the issue of storage because people use harmful chemicals, to the environment and human beings.”
Umar explained that the SAMPEA 20T is transgenic, “it means it is a variety developed using modern technology and there is an existing problem limiting the production of cowpea in the world but it is more in Africa because of the insect called Maruca,” he said.
On his part, Abubakar Abdullahi, Director Federal Department of Agriculture, who was represented by Musa Inuwa, Director Federal Ministry of Agriculture Gombe, noted that the government is focusing on achieving food and Nutrition security through its various activities.
Abdullahi said, “the awareness will help farmers reduce the cost of production and increase their income as a very minimal insecticide is needed during production circle.”
Also, Permanent Secretary Gombe State Ministry of Agriculture Danladi Walter described the sensitisation programme as timely, saying “We have just completed harvest and what we are focusing on now is storage.”
Salisu Samao, Chairman Gombe State Cowpea Farmers Association, lauded the government for its support.
He disclosed that with the introduction of SAMPEA 20T, “diseases that come because of eating cowpea with chemicals will be reduced, now people will eat healthy beans,” Samao said.
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Eat locally-grown foods, FG tells Nigerians
Lara Adejoro
The Federal Government has urged Nigerians to embrace locally available foods to improve food security.
The FG said this at the ongoing 2022 nutrition week organised by the Civil Society-Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, and other partners with the theme ‘Achieving Sustainable Diets through Consumption of Locally Available Foods.’
Speaking at the nutrition awareness programme held at the Internally Displaced Persons’ Camp in Wassa, Abuja, the Deputy Director, Food and Nutrition Division, Department of Social Development, FMFB&NP, Chito Nelson said there is a need to eat healthy foods and ensure food security.
“The nutrition week is set aside to create awareness on nutrition, encourage people to eat healthily, and manage their homes to ensure that there is food security.
“These days, we’ve observed high consumption of industrialised food and we are no longer eating local foods. There are some local foods that are getting extinct that people don’t even know about it anymore.
“There are some local foods we want people to keep eating. Some of the young ones no longer like eating locally-made food. They don’t like eating beans but it’s quite healthy. If you combine beans with rice, the taste is better and the amino acid content in both the cereal and beans complement each other.
“We want to encourage them, we know that the economy is hard but any small portion of land they have around their homes, they can grow something to help their families.”
Also, the FCT Nutrition Officer, Clementina Okoro urged mothers to initiate exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, starting within an hour of birth for infants.
“This week, we are joining our mothers to promote nutrition at the national and the sub-national levels and we have chosen the IDP camp in the Wassa community, knowing that with their situation, having access to food could be challenging, especially sustainable foods and part of what we are promoting is exclusive breastfeeding for children that are less than six months because it is a sustainable diet.
“At six months, they should have a balanced diet from their local environment, foods that are locally grown. Whatever food they get from their environment can be fortified with micronutrients to improve their nutrition.
“This is because micronutrient deficiencies are not visible to the eyes. Before it becomes visible, it’s already advanced. So, we want people to be healthy,” Okoro said.
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