The Covid-19 pandemic has again brought to the fore the dangers of consuming unhealthy food such as unapproved and unbranded cooking oil which causes cancer, stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure etc. Experts have warned that people with the underlying health issues had little chances of surviving the virus.
Cancer, leading cause of death
Kate, a Nigerian was married to a devout Christian in Lagos. She neither smoked tobacco nor drank alcohol. After four children, she was diagnosed of breast cancer. She died after many efforts to save her life. Her husband took the weight of training the children.
Late Kate who died in her mid40s was among millions of people worldwide killed by cancer who left their families in grief.
World Health Organisation, WHO says that cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020. National Cancer Control Plan (NCCP), a body which outlines key goals and objectives for Nigeria’s cancer control efforts says cancer is responsible for 72,000 deaths in Nigeria every year, with an estimated 102,000 new cases of cancer annually.
According to WHO cancer arises from the transformation of normal cells into tumour cells in a multi-stage process that generally progresses from a pre-cancerous lesion to a malignant tumour. Cancer, it says is largely caused by some factors including consumption of unhealthy diet, tobacco use and air pollution.
Over the time, government and private organisations have been assisting on sensitising the populace on cancer issues towards reducing the incidence as in most instances, cancer cases result to terminal occurrences.
One organisation that has deepened the awareness of the risk of consuming unhealthy food including unbranded cooking oil that results in high cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol is PZ Wilmar, through its approved Devon King’s brand produced by a joint venture between PZ Cussons and Wilmar International.
The Devon King’s campaign to checkmate cancer risk factor
According to WHO, between 30 and 50% of cancers globally can currently be prevented by avoiding the risk factors. This is where such efforts like Devon King’s ‘Less is More’ campaign which focused on the need for a more healthy and health conscious society is imperative.
The social responsibility but business campaign which running on most media platforms has been on since mid-2020 till date was essentially deployed to sensitize the public on the health dangers of unbranded cooking oil and discourage its use by unsuspecting consumers.
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Often times, many consumers enter various local markets with small kegs and bottles to buy what they call ‘measured ororo’ for family cooking without minding the packaging, knowing the company that produces it, the source and the production process the cooking oil has passed through before getting to the market.
Experts say many factors account for the consumption of this kind of unhealthy food by certain people. This includes poverty and unawareness about its dangers. Nigeria has over 86 million out 200 million population poverty rate. Devon King’s campaign ‘Less is More’, is therefore pointing to the importance of consuming quality and healthy food than quantity but harmful food. The campaign is basically drawing the attention of the public and creating awareness to the health implications of unhealthy food such as unbranded cooking oil.
The unbranded cooking oil many consider affordable, which appears to be more in quantity, will end up costing them a lot more in terms of having to treat ailments that will arise from its consumption. While the well refined and approved cooking oil, which is quite affordable help you do so much with just little quantity and you are assured of nutrition and improved health.
Due to lack of awareness, Nigerian market is replete with unbranded, poorly packaged and unapproved cooking oil and these products are widely distributes and highly purchased by unsuspecting and innocent consumers. Little wonder, that diseases such as, cancer, heart diseases, cases of high cholesterol which later develop through the consumption of these products are high globally and in Nigeria. Cholesterol, according to experts is a major risk factor for heart diseases among people of all ages. Researchers discovered that heart failure accounts for over 50% of cardiovascular-related deaths in Nigeria.
Health organisations such as Nigerian Hearts Foundation, NHF; National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC; World Health Organisation, WHO and other regulatory bodies have often warned against the consumption of unbranded cooking oil which are high in cholesterol and does not promote healthy living.
Unfortunately, some consumers still think that quality means high cost hence they imprudently go for unbranded products which they think is cheap without considering the long-term effects.
Usually, the consequence of the consumption of unbranded and adulterated cooking oil products takes medium to long term to manifest and that is why many people overlook the anticipated dangers.
Radha K, a general medical practitioner in Dtnext website explained that adulterated oil not only causes allergies and increases cholesterol, but also gives impetus to deadly diseases such as cancer, paralysis, liver damage and cardiac arrest. She added that when people fall sick, no one really considers linking the illness with the cooking oil they may have consumed as part of their food. “The reason for a large number of health problems is the food we consume, and it is not always about the quality of meat or vegetables but the quality of the oil the food is cooked in,” she said in the report.
These warning by world health bodies have also become important in this era of Covid -19 when weakness of immune system resulting in body fragility will not be able to withstand Covid -19 attack. It is said that people with underlying health issues such as cancer, stroke, heart failure, high blood pressure caused by the consumption of unhealthy food have little chances of surviving the Coronavirus attack when it occurs.
Other dangers of using unbranded cooking oil is that in addition to unhygienic concerns and unclean packaging, some of the containers used to sell unbranded oils have been previously used to store chemicals and petrol. Obviously, some of the pet bottles used to sell unbranded oil are literally picked from road side, dirty environment and they are not properly cleaned.
Again, unbranded oil causes smoke, oils could splash all over the kitchen and burn the skin, and it could also affect the taste of food. It also raises risks to diseases which means, one would have to spend more for treatment at the hospital.
Alternative to unbranded Cooking oil
While educating consumers against cooking with unbranded oil due to health risks, PZ Cussons and Wilmar International under the Devon King’s brand’s campaign ‘Less is More’ is offering consumers the Devon King’s quality cooking oil approved by NAFDAC and which has Vitamin A and it is Cholesterol free.
With understanding that there are classes of consumers with different pocket sizes, Devon King’s introduced wide range of the most affordable cooking oil, hence there is quality cooking oil for every consumer at every budget. There is 70ml pillow (Wazo) pack, for just 50 Naira, which is sufficient for quick cooking. There are also 500ml, 750ml and 1000ml pillow packs.
The underlining message in ‘Less is More’ simply means ‘Quality over Quantity’. It sent message to consumers that instead of using unbranded oil that has so much health risks, there is ‘More’ they can do with a little pack of Devon King’s oil. The company said all Devon King’s product packs, approved by NAFDAC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON are tamper-proof to ensure the quality of the oil remains till it gets to the consumer.
This PZ Wilmar campaign is a wakeup call on consumers to be more cautious when buying products as they need to go beyond merely looking at the labels. Studies have proven that loose oil is contaminated and has adverse effects on the body, and can prove to be life threatening in the long run, a health expert said.
There is hardly anyone that would balk at the opportunity to have quality product at less price which gives peace of mind. This becomes more instructive when the product in question is one that safeguards lives.
Such a campaign by PZ Wilmar under its Devon King’s brand against the unbranded cooking oil should be considered a CSR initiative as it is not only saving consumers from contracting cancer, heart diseases and other related diseases, but such campaign is guaranteeing quality life for economic activities and saving hospital bills.
