The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged Nigerians to make it a habit to read food labels before buying packaged foods, saying the practice will help consumers make healthier dietary choices and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases.
Speaking on Friday at the launch of the Read the Food Label Campaign in Abuja, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said food labels contain vital information about the nutritional value and safety of products and should be carefully examined before purchase.
“The ability of consumers to understand, interpret and apply information on food labels has never been more important,” she said.
Adeyeye noted that the increasing consumption of foods high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and trans fats has contributed to the growing prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and other diet-related illnesses across the country.
She explained that the campaign, organised in partnership with development partners, is designed to improve nutrition literacy and equip consumers with the knowledge needed to make informed food choices.
The NAFDAC boss stressed that reading food labels should become a routine 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 in Nigeria.
