By Raphael Ede
Enugu
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has declared that substandard animal feeds as well as pesticides are dangerous to human health.Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni stated this at the end of a sensitization workshop for the South-east stakeholders on safe and responsible use of veterinary medicines, pesticides and animal feeds.
She noted the dangers associated with feeding poultry animals with substandard feeds and treating them with substandard drugs affects human lives adversely, stressing the need for the sensitization workshop, while warning stakeholders to abide by NAFDAC regulations.
She said the sensitization workshop became necessary as availability of safe and wholesome food is an important component of NAFDAC’s mandate and one of the priority issues of public health concern.
Represented by the Director, Veterinary Medicine and Allied Products at NAFDAC, Dr Buka Ali Usman, Oni said the agency is showing increasing concern on the methods and products of modern Agriculture to promote healthy living among human beings.
According to her, “In livestock production, it is a known fact that what is fed to food producing animals have important implication on the health of the public. Animals that are carelessly fed with unwholesome feed will not only suffer malnutrition, poor health and poor production, but will also pass the residue to man.
“In view of this, the agency has taken steps to ensure that inputs used in livestock production such as animal feeds, feed concentrates, feed additives and premixes are safe and efficacious for their intended use. The quality must meet standard specifications and the presentations in terms of labelling must be adequate, so that the products are handled safely,” she added.
