Tips for consuming prepackaged foods in Nigeria
Prepackaged foods are common in Nigeria because most of the foods consumed in the nation
are largely imported from different countries.
Unlike countries in Europe and some parts of Africa, where rising capital stock has resulted in improved standards of living and high productivity, Nigeria is a non-industrialised nation.
Nigerians consume prepackaged food products that are mostly imported, and only a few prepackaged food products are produced in Nigeria. This has not only impacted the nation’s economy but also subjected its population to various health risks from food poisoning resulting from bad processed foods.
Prepackaged foods in Nigeria are either produced locally or imported from abroad, and you are most likely to buy any of these off the shelf.
Below are tips for consuming prepackaged foods in Nigeria.
- Look for the NAFDAC registration number on the product label. Do not consume any
prepackaged foods in Nigeria, either produced locally or imported, if they do not have a
NAFDAC registration number. Products that have a missing NAFDAC number are most likely to
be fake. In fact, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
defines products that are not registered with the Agency as "fake products". Do not consume
them. - Do not consume a prepackaged food product with claims such as “This is original” or “for
vitality”; on the product label. They are mostly likely to be counterfeited. - Do not consume a prepackaged food with any of the following missing information:
manufacturer or distributor name and address, production date, batch number, storage
condition, and best before date. They are most likely to be fake. These are required labelling
information in Nigeria, and if any of these information is missing, the product is most likely to be
a fake. - Do not buy prepackaged food by the roadside. These retailers are not likely to comply with the product storage conditions for the product, and exposure to excessive sunlight would not only result in the reduction or loss of nutrients in the food but may also result in the formation of a complex metabolite that poses health risks.
- Do not buy prepackaged food with poor label quality. If the quality of the packaging material and label is bad, it’s most likely to be a fake product, as people who sell fake prepackaged foods often do not have good facilities to produce products with high-quality labels and packaging materials.
- Do not consume prepackaged foods that have their seal broken. If the seal is broken, reject it and ask for another one.
- If you perceive any adverse food reaction, immediately report it to the hospital or the nearest NAFDAC office.
Hope you find this tips useful.