Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), says codex food labelling standards will enhance food safety and consumer awareness globally.
Adeyeye said this in a meeting of the National Codex Committee-Technical Committee (NCC-TC) on Food Labelling, in Lagos, on Monday.
The meeting was chaired by NAFDAC and held as a preparatory meeting of Nigeria’s delegates to the 48th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling (CCFL48).
According to a statement on Monday signed by Mr Sayo Akintola, NAFDAC Resident Media Consultant, the 48th session is scheduled to hold from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 at Quebec City, Canada.
Adeyeye, represented by Mrs Eva Edward, Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said it would help to eliminate misleading description of food products and encourage responsible consumption.
She said the standards provide consumers with essential information about ingredients, nutritional content, and allergens, enabling them to make informed choices about the foods they purchase and consume.
The D-G noted that compliance with these standards would facilitate access to international markets by ensuring that products meet various regulatory requirements.
This not only reduces the risk of legal issues but also enhances the competitiveness of products on a global scale.
“In addition, these standards can highlight sustainable practices, promoting environmental awareness and encouraging responsible consumption, she said.
Adeyeye commended members of the NCC that cut across relevant Federal Government Ministries, Agencies, Industry, and Research Institutes for their consistent commitment to the work of Codex as they gathered to strengthen their collective efforts in food safety and consumer protection.
She urged them to share their insights and experiences to foster dialogue, build consensus, and arrive at national positions for the CCFL48 that will advance the cause of food labelling and consumer protection in Nigeria.
She encouraged delegates to represent Nigeria with pride and purpose on the global platform of the 48th session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling.
Speaking also, the Director-General of the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Dr Ifeanyi Okeke, admonished the Nigerian delegation to articulate Nigeria position at the forthcoming 48th session in Quebec Canada.
Okeke, represented by the Deputy Director, Food Group Unit, Mrs Nene Obianwu, expressed contentment in his Agency’s commitment towards sustaining the mandate of the National Codex Committee as well as food safety activities in Nigeria.
Okeke, emphasised that the Codex Committee on Food Labelling was saddled with the responsibility, including but not limited to tracking labeling applicable to food, and endorse specific provisions on labelling prepared by other Codex Committees.
He thanked NAFDAC D-G for ensuring a successful hosting of preparatory meetings of the National Codex Committee which reflected the agency’s commitment toward promoting and advancing Codex activities in Nigeria.
Also, Dr Nonye Ayeni, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) espoused the significance of aligning the national standards with international best practices.
Ayeni stressed that it was crucial for Nigerian non-oil export goods as it enabled made in Nigeria products to compete favourably in the global market.
She explained that NEPC vision was to make the world a market place for Nigerian non-oil products, noting that the council was committed to diversifying Nigeria product base, promoting export readiness and enhancing trade facilitation.
She said:” We recognise the need for science-based standards.
“To ensure that our national standards align with international Codex standards, and strengthen the regulatory framework to guarantee safe and nutritious food and encourage Nigerian exporters to meet international food safety requirements.
“We appreciate the National Codex Committees efforts to develop and harmonise standards.
“NEPC is committed to supporting this initiative and ensure that Nigeria non-oil export products meet global standards”.
The Codex Alimentarius, or Food Code, is a collection of international standards, guidelines and codes of practice to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices in the food trade.
Codex standards are used worldwide to harmonise national food safety regulations and are recognised in the WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Measures as the international reference point for food safety.
When food producers and traders comply with Codex standards, consumers can trust the safety and quality of the products they buy and importers can have confidence that the food they ordered will meet the specifications.