UNIDO joins advocacy for scrutiny, identification of GMO foods

Nigerians have been advised to cautiously read labels of food products before purchase to ensure food safety, and avoid erroneous purchase Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods.

John Tehinse, National Expert on Food Safety, UNIDO, while speaking during a capacity building programme for journalists on consumer protection issues, said there had been a lot of concerns on the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and that was why the government set up an agency to ensure safety of consumables.

He said, “GMOs are not in our open markets, they are in super markets.

“I want to say that Nigerians should exercise caution and read the label of every food product they buy

“If it is GMO and you are not pretty comfortable with it, leave it on the shelve and go and buy food that you are comfortable with.

“This should be noted until we are sure, until we are convinced, about GMO because for now it is a bit cloudy.”

This warning reiterates that of other experts who had spoken with BusinessDay on the importance of strict monitoring and requisite labeling to avoid undue influx of GMO foods into Nigeria.

Anthony Onilude, a professor of microbial physiology and biotechnology told BusinessDay “I want to believe that any responsible manufacturer following standard practices will indicate on its product that it is a GMO food.”

According to Onilude, detection of GMO food is not easy in a place like Nigeria because the consumer is not protected even though there is supposed to be a body for consumer protection which he describes as “zero level”.

“At the point of entry of such goods, they ought to have checked them through various surveillance procedures. NAFDAC, Customs and other relevant agencies ought to take samples (regularly) to test them for safety and quality,” says Onilude.

While Onilude explains that GMO foods could be good in situations of famine and acute food shortage, he noted that “where the problem sets in is in the situation where people say most of these organisms included within the confines of food can cause a lot of body modifications, including skin or blood cancer and some other things which as far as Africa is concerned have not been recorded in any part of the continent.”

Tehinse said there was need to create more awareness among Nigerians on the significance of food safety particularly in the areas of food production, processing, preparation and transport among others.

He called for coordination among stakeholders in the food supply chain to ensure that its final stage to consumers were safe.

“We want to reassure the consumers of the safety of the food they consume not only in its finished form but from the farms up to their tables.”

The food expert said that such stakeholders included the government, operators and service providers, adding that already 17 legislations and 27 regulatory agencies were monitoring and ensuring food safety in the country.

During an earlier interaction with Rufus Ebegba, director general, National Biosafety‎ Management Agency (NBMA), he explained there is a law in place which incriminates unauthorised cultivation or distribution of GMO based food in Nigeria. All GMO based foods that are to be released in Nigeria are expected to be labelled so that consumers are fully aware when making purchase decisions and making their choices accordingly. Those who release products without approval or even concealed information are liable upon conviction to a jail term of 5 years, N2.5 million fine or both.

Ebegba also explained that “the issue of fears surrounding Genetically Modified Organisms is expected. When there is a new technology like this people are bound to express fear particularly when fears are being created in the minds of people by some individuals or groups. The government will not just permit commodities that are not safe into environment.”

CALEB OJEWALE