By Opeyemi Adelakun
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged Nigerians to make reading food labels a routine before purchasing packaged foods, saying the habit will help consumers make healthier dietary choices and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.
The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the appeal on Friday during the launch of the Read the Food Label Campaign in Abuja.
She said food labels provide vital information about the nutritional value and safety of packaged products, stressing that consumers should carefully examine them before making purchasing decisions.
“The ability of consumers to understand, interpret and apply information on food labels has never been more important,” Adeyeye said.
She noted that the growing consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans fats has contributed to the increasing prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other diet-related illnesses in Nigeria.
According to her, the campaign, organised in collaboration with development partners, is aimed at improving nutrition literacy and equipping Nigerians with the knowledge needed to make informed food choices.
Adeyeye emphasised that reading food labels should become a regular practice for every consumer.
“Reading food labels should become a routine practice for all consumers,” she said, adding that increased awareness of nutritional information would help reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases across the country.
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