General BuhaRI SHOULD FOCUS ON CONTAMINANT FREE FOOD AND FEED, THIS WILL REDUCE COST OF MEDICATION. FOOD SAFETY ACTIVISTS ARE WATCHING HIS STEPS. HE SHOULD ALSO WATCH HIS ‘FRIEND’S’ IN PARTY. SOME ARE PRACTISING CROOKS AND INTERCONTINENTAL FRAUDSTERS
Prof Dele Fapohunda, a Food and Feed Safety activist, Founder and President, Safe Food and Feed Foundation, is an ardent advocate of safe foods. In this interview with News Editor, ONCHE ODEH, he decries the quietness of Nigerian government and experts over issues of Genetic Modification (GM) of foods, despite evidences that they are flooding the country, among other issues on the global GM controversies. Excerpts.
What do you make of the controversies surrounding Genetically Modified (GM) Foods?
First, let us start with the genesis of all this. The project started in the 1960s when attention of the financiers was focused on the hungry millions of people in India, Mexico, the Philippines and Africa. High yielding varieties of rice and wheat were to be developed with genetic modification, and heavy input of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. This is why the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) was formed in the Philippines. It was alleged that widespread corruption and insecurity were twin factors that did not allow the experiment to succeed in Africa. The Consultative Group on International Agriculture (CGIAR), a research and aid organisation, has been very active and visible in the initiative that concentrated on producing high yielding varieties. This commendable initiative of reducing starvation among the world s poor then by experts was led by Norman Borlaug, now called the father of Green Revolution. As we speak, some countries are large producers and major world exporters of the monocultutres and many ready-to-eat foods, which are now GM.
Why is the project being opposed now?
Opponents insist that the foods are unnatural and an unacceptable because they meddle with the natural biological processes. They therefore continued to create a ‘fear effect’ in the mind of consumers. Many citizen groups are daily calling for Genetic Engineering (GE)- free zones around the world and vote instead for conventional organic agriculture. Health and environmental concerns have heightened of recent, with Rights groups taking many governments to court. This has happened in USA and in the Philippines. Although they noted that increased food production meant people no longer die of hunger, they, however, are dying of malnutrition as some of the new improved varieties lack essential nutrients like iron and vitamin A resulting in food and nutrition related morbidities. Since this form of agriculture also depends on huge doses of pesticides and fertilisers, death of fish, as well as health impacts to human consumers through allergies and cancers are equal sources of concern. Pesticide residues are regularly monitored by the WHO and FAO because built-in pesticides cannot be removed from agric produce. Also this large input of petrochemicals and emergence of secondary pests, which ultimately shoot up production costs has widened the gap between the rich and poor. The emerging economic challenge has led to the migration of small holder farmers and landless farm workers to urban settlements.
Is it true GM foods are being rejected?
That s very correct, and there are practical cases of rejection of GM corn from one country by another. Hormone – fattened cattle are also being rejected in Europe. This year, the government of Hungary destroyed thousand s of GM corn fields and gone proceeded to tighten control as dairy cow feeds. Sometimes the protests have gone violent, for example, a wheat farm was destroyed by protesters in Australia in 2011. Vandalism against the experimental stations was also reported in the Philippines in 2013. Such violent act on laboratories, and field experimental stations had also happened in the USA and Europe. There are many non-violent groups like Friends of the Earth, Union of Concerned Scientists, Food and Waterwatch, Institute of Responsible Technology, Organic Consumers Association.
But supporters have continued to allay fears?
Yes, supporters have accused opponents of relying on results of unverified junk research. There are recent researches on animal field trials citing many feeding studies conducted by public research laboratories which concluded that there are no safety problems linked to long-term consumption of genetically modified food. The anti GM activists had advised that GM food should be banned, or accordingly labelled to afford consumers the opportunity to make choices. In what speaks of the contrary, a report quoted, Hamburg, a very senior official of the FDA in March as saying that the FDA hasn’t changed its position on GMOs, despite two decades’ worth of studies linking GMOs, and the pesticides and herbicides required to grow them, to everything from allergies to cancer, Hamburg said the FDA has “not found evidence of safety risks” associated with GMOs. Therefore there is no need to specially label GM food as so.
Sincerely, what do you think is the future of GM?
That is a difficult question for me because a highly probing review of the Green Revolution package has revealed a tough divergence of opinions, each equally seemingly convincing. Intricacies and complexities involved in assessment of food security have thrown up bitter divergence in the role of a critical aspect of Green Revolution. The vehement and frontally tendentious divide is capable of threatening the financial base of some international companies and capable of rocking the political stability of the world if not well managed. Remember that big names and corporate bodies are involved. Money and politics are twin characters on the table that serve as platform of presentation that paraded the potential of blinding and neutralising each side of the argument. Huge financial commitment has been made over the years and such investment cannot just be overlooked by any latter-day criticism. But the question remains: Can we say the conception and execution of the project is sincere, ab initio? Sometimes the claims and counter claims can be alarming with profound implications for example the opponents insisted that contrary to claims, it is indeed scientifically proven that the dangers and long term health implications far outweigh so called benefits.
But Norman Bourlaug, the brilliant man at the centre dismissed negative claims as ranting of the uninformed, describing the critics as armchair opponents who never witnessed nor experience penury and hunger. He believed that if they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as he did for fifty years, they’d be crying out for tractors and fertiliser and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things. He admitted the project has not turned the world into a Utopia, but equally insisting that it was a step in the right direction
What is the position of Nigeria on this?
Many countries are involved in the two sides. These include France, Finland, India, Switzerland, Peru, Italy, Greece, Spain, Austria, Russia, Australia, Hungary and South Africa. I am not sure of the stand of Nigerian government, scientists and the business group on this. And this loud silence to me is scandalous, when one considers the rate at which many GM foods flood Nigeria. Meanwhile, this scientific and economic battle rage in other parts of the world, and Nigeria still continues to battle with issues of corruption and insecurity, unfortunately the twin factors that enhance national retrogression I just got a report now that the next phase of the Green Revolution is targeting Africa, through a grain research centre in Mexico, and that could be sooner than expected. Are we ready to accept or criticise, based on verifiable facts? Food safety activists like ours will do their best to sensitise Nigerians and we are open to collaboration with similar minds in this crusade
Souirce=http://www.healthline.com/health-news
They’re known as the “Dirty Dozen,” and they are, in order:
This year, the EWG found that every sample of imported nectarines and 99 percent of apple samples tested positive for at least one pesticide. The average potato contained more pesticides by weight than any other food. One grape sample contained 15 pesticides, while individual samples of celery, cherry tomatoes, imported snap peas, and strawberries contained 13 different pesticides apiece.
For the third year, the EWG expanded the Dirty Dozen list with an additional category, which included kale, collard greens, and hot peppers. They don’t meet the criteria to be in the Dirty Dozen, but they still contain insecticides that can be toxic to the human nervous system. (As a result, the EWG recommends that people who often eat these foods purchase organic versions.)
Sharon Palmer, R.D., a dietitian and nutritionist from California and the author of The Plant-Powered Diet, said that some fruits and vegetables, especially those that are eaten with the outer skin on, tend to carry more residue.
Are these foods unsafe to eat? No, Palmer said. Consumers can eliminate pesticide residue by effectively washing their produce. Some people argue that the pesticides are there but aren’t harmful to the human body—a notion that other experts completely disagree with.
Food Wars: Are ‘Healthy’ Alternatives Really Better for Us Than Our Favorite Foods? »
The EWG’s “Clean Fifteen” list for 2014—foods with the lowest amounts of pesticide residue—includes avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes.
7 Nutritious and Tasty Meals for Schools and Parents to Try »
Palmer explained that pesticides are used to disrupt the life cycle of insects and fungi so that they do not damage food crops.
“Although the Environmental Protection Agency establishes maximum pesticide residue levels to make sure they are below safety standards, safety concerns exist,” she said, adding that the safety thresholds are based on exposure to a single pesticide, though some foods show evidence of exposure to multiple pesticides.
“Even very small doses of some pesticides may have strong effects, especially among children, pregnant women, nursing women, the elderly, and agricultural workers,” Palmer said.
Scientists are calling for more research on the effects of pesticides, which may include brain and nervous system disorders, cancer, reproductive problems, birth defects, metabolic effects, immune system disorders, and more, Palmer added.
Read More: Exposure to Banned Pesticides Raises Risk of Endometriosis »
It does, according to Palmer.
“Eating organic foods reduces the number of pesticides you are exposed to, because most synthetic pesticides may not be used on these crops,” she added.
Jessica Fishman Levinson, a dietitian and nutrition consultant based in New York, agrees. She says she always tells people that they should purchase organic varieties of produce on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list.
Wash your produce—and wash it well. After washing, pat it dry to remove any excess dirt.
“It’s better to eat conventional produce than to skip it altogether,” said Fishman Levinson.
2. Ochratoxin A
Ochratoxins are a group of chemically related mycotoxins commonly found in diverse food items like grains, coffee, cocoa, tubers, dried fruits, wine, beer and animal based meals meals As mycotoxins they are poisons produced by moulds on food, particularly in unhygienic regime. Ochratoxin A or OTA is the most important and toxic member of the family. OTA was first, in 1965 isolated from Aspergillus ochraceus, a fungus. However, as a result of contemporary advances in molecular studies, this fungus from which OTA was originally isolated was later identified as Aspergillus westerdjikiae. That was in the year 2004. Another fungal species known to produce OTA is Penicillium. The importance of this mycotoxin lies in its impact on health and export. And like most mycotoxins, OTA is associated with climatic and economic challenge. Exposure to dietary OTA in animal may result in ochratoxicosis, expressing as cancer of the kidney. In fact it has been classified as group 2B carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC , meaning that it is a possible carcinogen for humans .The IARC is an arm of the WHO.
The FAO/Who publication of 2001 revealed that the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) established a provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) of 100 ng/kg body weight based on the lower amount of the toxin that caused adverse effects to swine kidneys . J L Schaler has reported that male and female Fischer rats given oral doses of OTA had dose- related increase in kidney tumors: renal-cell adenomas, and renal-cell adeno-carcinomas. With metastasis of the renal cell tumors. It also has an adverse effect on the the body weight, feed intake, and feed conversion in broiler chicken
Humans: Balkan endemic neuropathy (BEN) associated with OTA occurs in countries like Bulgaria, Croatia, Turkey, Egypt, and Yugoslavia where OTA is relatively high in the diet. Individuals with BEN were surveyed for the presence of urinary tract tumors. The incidence of tumors in the urinary system was elevated in both men and women. The poison damages the foetus and the DNA The major source of OTA in the diet in Europe are cereals and wine. Coffee was thought to be important in this respect, but is now considered less significant. Researchers in a few Nigerian Universities and at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria have worked on the incidence of ochratoxin on coffee
Like all mycotoxins, setting of standard that are allowable in meals is based on toxicological, occurrence, distribution and epidemiological data . Some European countries have set limits ranging from 2-10 microgram per kilogram in cereals ,roasted coffee, wine and grape juice. Although Nigeria now adopts EU standards for available regulated mycotoxins, enforcement on OTA limits in food and feed are fairly lax . The Standards Organization of Nigeria is saddled with setting and monitoring standards . However this mandate is expected to be carried out in complimentary ways with the efforts of the NAFDAC, Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, and Consumer Protection Council. On the global scale, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreements on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), promote greater harmonization and transparency in the establishment of food regulations that protect the consumer and facilitate trade.
It is relatively heat stable and so can survive cooking processes. Processing like roasting and baking may lead to a slight reduction in levels. On the field, ensuring that crops are harvested at a safe moisture level is a sure preventive measure. Safe moisture prevents mould growth and so OTA production. Rapid and effective drying, ruling out insect invasion and avoidance of damage resulting in wounds as well as physical separation are also effective postharvest strategies
Get involved. Please make your comment……. and contributions
Dele Fapohunda
07/14
1 Aflatoxins
As humanity grows on daily basis, there is another group of small creatures called fungi, which are ubiquitous and most of which cannot be seen with unaided eyes. The Nigerian climate support the growth of this group and the subsequent production of chemicals on food items in farm, transit and store. These chemicals are toxic and are referred to as fungal toxins or mycotoxins. These toxic chemical s are found as contaminants of many items including maize, wheat, beans, groundnut, milk and milk products, yam, cassava. It is instructive that toxin production is predicated on mould growth. Nearly a quarter of the global crops are affected by them and their consumption as dietary chemicals by man and livestock incites a range of morbidities and on few occasions, mortality. Four divisions are very important because of their potency and increased research attention and, therefore health and international trade impacts. These are aflatoxins, ochratoxins, patulin and trichothecenes . Let’s start with the first one aflatoxins. This is a group that harbours the only known toxin of biological origin that has been so recognized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC. In the late 80s the Agency that serves as a technical arm of the WHO, officially placed aflatoxin B1 on the list of Type A carcinogen. The interpretation of this classification is that aflatoxin can incite cancer in human. Indeed cases of aflatoxin-induced liver cancer and immune suppression have been reported in livestock and man. High temperature, humidity and economic challenge all combine to present a formidable predisposing package. The producing fungus, Aspergillus flavus , is very common in Nigerian soil. On stale food items, it occurs as green coating , with the toxin representing a product of its secondary metabolism. This metabolite, which is colourless , odourless and tasteless, comes as B and G both representing the dietary forms and M being the one found in milk. Washing of the mouldy crop food will not remove the already secreted contaminating poison. It is heat stable so all forms of boiling may not provide any intervention. The temperature adequate to destroy it is equally sufficient the food item, so there will not be any net gain using heat to treat aflatoxin-contaminated food item. National , Continental and global bodies have been formed to address arising alimentary and export concerns.
The Mycotoxicology Society of Nigeria , Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa , PACA and the International Society for Mycotoxicology are various initiatives put in place to recommend and possibly implement interventions. At present, The MSN has its secretariat at NAFDAC, Lagos where it attends to public enquiries from the food and livestock industries.
As you read this know that you have a role to play in achieving health through wholesome ‘mealing’ Please tell your neighbour……. and even your enemy !!!!!
Dele Fapohunda
07/14
That Fayose has won Ekiti governorship election is no longer in doubt. Even the incumbent Fayemi has admitted that. Now lets review afew lessons
1 Articles in Newspapers don’t win elections, the Politian himself does. Otherwise with the regular columns in a newspaper s openly sympathetic to the Fayemi, it would have a walkover. But the writers forget that the last time such outing was made in National Concord, everybody knew that the Concord did not win for Abiola, Abiola won for himself. Having an ability to cut through barriers, religious and ethnic with a knife-in -butter ease, kit was clear MKO was indeed the one to beat.. Therefore for the Presidential election still coming in 2015, more of attacks on the President should be done on pages of newspapers, because it may not yield the desired result. Let each candidate come out and identify with the jobless, the hopeless, and the frustrated.
2 Activism is different from political astuteness. This is why the Nobel laureate may not win an election in his place of birth even when it is clear that he has all the ideas. When Fayemi focussed on the elderly by giving them monthly stipends, Fayose aligned with youth who are unemployed and promised the gainful employment. Whether the promise is achievable is a topic for another day. Remember, the elderly are few in n umber and had no capacity to mobilise due to obvious old age, while the youth are more in number and having the energy to move and mobilize. Again, sometimes reality and hard facts can be counterproductive when communicated to the hungry. Ekiti is a state of teachers and civil servants. It is the height of political foolishness to denial them the simple rights they used to enjoy. Panicky appeasing measures , few days to election would not fly.. Another bitter issue in the south west is the belief that all contracts awarded in Ekiti, Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Edo are been vetted and captured by a man in Bourdillon. The residents of these states which are collectively poorer than Lagos expected rightly that these contracts belong to them. This ‘Ajel e syndrome ‘ is another sour point which is critical to the election in Osun coming in few days time.
Faces of corruption
Over the years, illegal imports of items including arms have been going on with govt officials turning away their eyes. The direct result is what we are now witnessing—-thuggery, robberies, Book Haram, kidnappings
The youth of the country with no means of livelihood are no results to crime, some cool eg cyber others violent eg robberies. Also there have been cases of unresolved family violence between father and son, mother and son and husband and wife
Solution
All unemployed youth should register and get employed as state intelligence network officer. At the same time, all illegal small arms should be turned in within a deadline after which holders become liable to prosecution . People who give credible information on corruption and arms should be rewarded with promotions and appointments not cash. Elected offices should provide such employment to the youth as they would give their own children.
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