The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called on stakeholders across Nigeria’s food value chain to prioritize fruit safety and consumer protection to curb foodborne diseases and strengthen public confidence in the nation’s food system.
Speaking at the commemoration of World Food Safety Day and World MSMEs Day, organized by OSOA Foods in Lagos, FCCPC Health Quality Assurance and Development Officer, Mr. Akinwunmi Ishola, said ensuring the safety of fruits from production to consumption was critical to safeguarding public health.
He described this year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” as timely, noting that unsafe food remains a major challenge with far-reaching consequences for consumers, businesses, and the economy.
“Unsafe food is not only a health concern but also a consumer protection issue, an economic burden and a threat to trust in the food system,” Ishola said.
According to him, consumers often bear the costs of unsafe food through illness, medical expenses, loss of income, and, in severe cases, death, while businesses risk reputational damage, product rejection, reduced market confidence, and regulatory sanctions.
He reaffirmed the FCCPC’s commitment to protecting consumers’ rights to safe, quality, and properly represented food products and urged farmers, processors, transporters, retailers, regulators, and consumers to adopt practices that prevent contamination and improve traceability.
Highlighting the importance of fruits in healthy diets, Ishola warned that poor handling, storage, and hygiene practices could transform them into carriers of foodborne diseases.
“If we truly want safe food everywhere, then we must ensure safe fruits everywhere—on farms, in transit, markets, factories, shops and homes,” he said.
He stressed that safe fruit production requires proper knowledge, hygiene, responsible chemical use, quality control, effective regulation, and accountability across the value chain.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of OSOA Foods, Mr. Solomon Olusanya Oyeniran, called for stronger collaboration to improve food safety standards and support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the agrifood sector.
Oyeniran said the initiative was designed to boost competitiveness and expand market access for Nigerian agrifood businesses, particularly MSMEs operating within the food supply chain.
According to him, the program leverages social and behavioral science approaches to address food safety challenges and promote sustainable business practices.
He noted that the initiative focuses on horticultural food systems, particularly edible fruits and vegetables, exposing businesses to global best practices in post-harvest handling.
The program, he said, would help reduce foodborne diseases, minimize food loss and waste, promote compliance with regulatory standards, and strengthen environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
“By prioritizing nutritional retention through food safety sensitization, we directly protect children’s cognitive development and reduce long-term public health expenditure,” Oyeniran said.
He added that participating MSMEs would benefit from capacity building, improved business processes, branding support, export diversification opportunities, and access to international markets.
According to him, the initiative will also support enterprises in meeting quality standards, packaging, labeling, marketing, and supply chain requirements needed to improve export readiness.
Oyeniran said the program would facilitate strategic partnerships and connect businesses with international buyers and distributors through trade fairs and business engagements.
He reaffirmed OSOA Foods’ commitment to strengthening agrifood enterprises, processed food businesses, and agritech MSMEs, saying collaborative efforts were essential to building a safer and more prosperous food ecosystem.
“Together, we can build a safer, healthier, and more prosperous food ecosystem for all,” he said.
SOURCE: NAN
