Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have expressed concern over the poor-quality standards of food consumed by Ugandans these days. The CSOs voiced their concerns ahead of the World Food Safety Day, slated for 7 June 2023.
Agnes Kirabo, the executive director, Food Rights Alliance, while addressing Journalists at Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, said many Ugandans consume unsafe food unknowingly due to poor handling and processing standards in place.
She gave an example of maize flour, where some grinding machines are outdated and produce maize flour containing metallic particles that are harmful to human health, saying cancer related diseases are attributed to consumption of such maize flour.
She said a number of restaurants and roadside commercial cooking joints around urban settings in Uganda pose a health risk to consumers of such food, which may lead to outbreaks of cholera, typhoid and diarrhea among others.
“Statistics show that 3700 people are infected by cancer every year, which is why the Government should get an immediate remedy to the safety of food Ugandans consume by setting standards and enforcing laws governing food imported and locally produced in Uganda.”
Sekalema Huzaima, Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute (SEATINI) Uganda, Program Officer, said Ugandan Cereals for export, mainly maize, continue to be rejected in the East African Community (EAC) Market due to poor drying and storage conditions, which infect the maize with aflatoxins, that are harmful to human health.
He advised the Government and farmers to improve on cereal storage and drying facilities if they are to benefit from the East African large consumer market.
“Farmers should desist from drying their maize on dirty floors and should use modern storage facilities for beans, soya, maize and millet among others,”he said.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has unveiled the World Food Safety Day 2023 theme together with a guide for the June 7 event.
This year’s theme, “Food standards save lives” is aimed at recognizing the importance of food standards across the world in keeping consumers safe, and in underpinning an equitable trade in food.
Corinna Hawkes, Director of the FAO Food Systems and Food Safety Division, invited participation in World Food Safety Day this year in a dedicated video message.
“FAO supports countries to transform agri-food systems so that they benefit people and the planet,” she said in the video, noting that policymakers, practitioners, and investors should reorient their activities to increase the sustainable production and consumption of safe foods.
Prior to the 7 June, 2023 observance, the event guide has been released in all six official UN languages to provide an overview of the theme, facts and numbers, event ideas, and key messages that might be used to promote awareness and motivate action on World Food Safety Day.
International Food Safety Day is meant to encourage everyone to adopt and accept food safety standards across the food supply chain, from the producer to the consumer. This will aid in lowering the almost wholly preventable incidence of foodborne illness.
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) were given special responsibility by the United Nations (UN) to promote food safety and its significance globally.
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