The National Agency for food and drug administration and control NAFDAC, has warned meat and fish sellers against use of formalin as preservative on the products.
Director General of the Agency, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, who gave the warning at a sensitization campaign in Birnin Kebbi, explained that, the chemical formalin was used to preserve dead bodies in hospitals which was harmful to human beings when consumed.
Represented by the Zonal Director, North West Zone of the agency, Pharmacist Dauda Gimba, the Director General said, the sensitization campaign was to intensify and expand the scope of informal and formal behaviorial change of communication strategies so as to reach the vulnerable communities on food and drug safety information.
She noted that, the sentization campaign would contribute significantly to Federal Government’s concerted efforts to inform, sensitize, educate and alert the public about inhertent dangers of intake and use of those spurious regulated products.
“I’m happy to inform you that, the mass media, vibrant youth and civil society organizations in the pilot states will be in the forefront of the sensitization campaign”.
The Director General, hoped that, at the end of the campaigns, the participants and target audience would be dependable partners and allies of the agency and be at the forefront of sustaining the public awareness campaigns by disseminating the information and massages to the grassroots.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure that, various communities take the ownership of the care and management of their health”.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Health, Dr. Yusuf Tanko Sununu, commended NAFDAC for the sensitization campaign so that people would be aware of the dangers of using falsified medical products and unwholesome foods.
The Permanent Secretary, Kebbi State Ministry of Health, Pharmacist Hassan Ibrahim Maigandi, assured the state government’s support to NAFDAC on its campaigns to ensure authentic medical products and wholesome foods are sold to the people for a healthy society.
The target audience are market Men and Women, Road transport Workers and Employers, Community Youth Organizations and Students.
Abdullahi Tukur, Kebbi