18/06/2024
**NAFDAC Urges Nigerians to Avoid Storing Cooked Food in the Refrigerator for Over Three Days**
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has advised Nigerians against keeping cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.
The agency warned that food stored for extended periods can become contaminated with pathogens, leading to foodborne diseases that could be fatal.
Food safety incidents, which involve potential or confirmed health risks from food, can occur due to accidents, insufficient controls, food fraud, or natural events.
Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director General, called on stakeholders in the food supply chain to adopt a food safety culture to reduce hazards and risks. She stressed that ensuring food safety is a shared responsibility during the 2024 World Food Safety Day, themed ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the unexpected.’
In a statement by the agency’s Resident Media Consultant, Sayo Akintola, the DG highlighted that the WHO estimates that annually, contaminated food causes illness in one in 10 people and 420,000 deaths globally. This results in a loss of 33 million healthy life years, particularly affecting children under five and other vulnerable groups in poorer regions.
