THISDAY, Vol. 16, No. 5790, Page 39
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
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agnc FG Inaugurates Committee to Combat Food Poisoning
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n a bid to ensure food safety and quality control measures of food from farm to table, the Federal Government has inaugurated a committee called the National Food Safety Management Committee (NFSMC) to combat food poisoning in the country.. The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Senator JubrU Martins Kuyc explained that the committee wi\1 be responsible for food safety and quality control measures as well as management of the process of ensuring food safety from farm to table. Kuye who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, of Federal Ministry Commerce and Industry, Dr. Abubakar Mohammad during the inauguration ceremony pointed out that the committee, among other responsibilities, wi\1 conduct training for small food processors on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). Mohammad hinted tbat Nigeria's agricultural products destined for export
By Crusoe Osagie (NAFADAC), Standards, Organization of Nigeria (SON) Nigeria Quarantine Service (NQS), Federal Produce Inspection Service (FPIS) and Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Federal Department of Fisheries as well as representative of commodities association, AU Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) In his remarks, the President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere commended the Federal Government for the bold step taken to enhance the ability of farmers on exported food items adding that if
Nigeria intends to be part of the world, it has to take advantage of African growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) and comply with sanitary standards in the world.
Earlier, the Acting Director of Trade Mr. David Adejuwon reiterated the need for Nigeria's commitroent to WTO rules in terms of sanitary standards and to ensure
conformity with the issue of safety and said it is the responsibility of the Ministry to strengthen collaboration among food agencies in the country.
Firm Launches Coated Products for Ruminants
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firm, Fenchem is to launch a series of coated products especially for ruminants at the upcoming VIV Asia, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from 9 to 11 March 2011. Nutritionists are constantly challenged to maximize the digestibility of sometimes poorly absorbed feed ingredients. Many approaches have been evaluated to physically protect
feed ingredients from ruminal degradation. The products Fenchem launches in Bangkok have high ruminal protection and intestinal release coefficients, produced through a unique microencapsulation technology: oAminofence-Lys is a rumen stabilized lysine - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released lysine for uSe
in ruminant.
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encounter non-tariff barriers
such as Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) thereby hindering access to international rnark:et. He added that this was attributed to lack of awareness on the issues sUlTOund~ ing food safety and SPS as well as lack of access to information on SPS. He also noted that lack of co-ordination and coopera: tion among ministries. agencies and the private sector are largely responsible for the hindrance encountered by Nigeria's exported foods. Kuye recalled that the trade liberalisation under the WTO fosters opportunities for enhanced export growth as countries obtain improved access to export market which was accompanied by greater competition and the need to ensure international confidence in the safety of food supply. According to him, non-tariff barriers such as standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures were being used by countries to protect human, animal and plant life or health. He further stated that Nigeria experienced rejection on some of its products based on food safety considerations from her trading partners in respect of Aflatoxin in melon seeds and groundnut. The minister said based on the fact that the size of the stakeholders involved in food production and management membership of the committee, the committee was drawn from the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, of Federal Ministry Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Health (Food and Drug Services Division), National Agency for Food, Drug.' Administration and Control
compliance with international sanitary standards for dome~tic and export foods. He added that this must not constitute another technical banier to trade but to enhance
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o ChoJineShield is a rumen stabilized choline - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released choline chloride for use in ruminant. oAminofence-Met is a rumen stabilized methionine - a cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released methionine for use in ruminant.
cost effective source of rumen bypass and intestinally released. niacin for
use in ruminant.
Fenchem's microencapsulation technology provides three important functions: providing stability of the nutrient during storage, protecting the nutrient from degradation in the rumen, and providing high bioavailability when the ¡Aminofence-Nia is a¡"" nutrient .released in the rumen stabilized niacin - a small intestine.