Food Fraud and The Nigeria Situation (3 of 3)

Food Fraud and The Nigeria Situation (3 of 3)

Economically Motivated Adulteration, EMA, would continuously be at the front bonnet of most proponents of food fraud across the globe as one of the major burden of public health issues. This becomes apparent as the propensity for financial gains among others keep fueling EMA.
Profiteering is the major root cause for the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, misrepresentation of food, food ingredients, food packaging; or false or misleading statements made about a food product besides other factors such as demand exceeding supply, scarcity of genuine food components etc

The effect of EMA, a subcategory of food fraud is a real public health vulnerability or the potential for public harm. This is most evident in developing nations of the world like Nigeria
Let me emphasize at this junction that food fraud threats is more risky than conventional food safety, since the food fraud contaminants are;
Unconventional
Unfit
Unproven and untested

Unlike food safety which is  prevention from deviation of required permissible limit, regulatory known standards and statistical normal distribution

TACKLING FOOD FRAUD
Shifting focus from reactive to proactive preventative measures has suggested by initiator of food fraud could be the water tight intervention for a country like Nigeria and societies where food fraudsters are having a filled day. First, we need to note that;

Food fraud is a criminal and deliberate act.
It is done by actors within the food system
The motivation ranges between financial, scarcity, downward shift in supply etc
It is both an organized crime (cartel, mafia) and criminals who are organized (smugglers)
Porous food safety management
Weak judicial implementation of existing food laws

Looking through the lens of criminology provide insight into tackling food fraud in Nigeria.
Managing the elements of crime opportunity within the crime triangle would help to drastically reduce food crime. The 3 elements needed to be manipulated to clamping down fraud in the food system are;

The Food Fraudster; perpetrators of food crimes

Surveillances and Watchdogs; regulators, law enforcements, NGOs, activists, observers, foodsafety bills etc

The Victims; consumers, governments, industries

Shrinking the fraud opportunities or any of its elements is imperative in increasing exposure or detection of food fraudsters. It's pertinent to point that holistic strategic involving the consumers, governments, industries, NGO, scientific communities and trade associations are vital to arresting this menace which is gradually becoming a worrisome burden within the Nigeria's system

WAYS OUT
Foodsafety whistleblower law is key to achieving this feat. If it works for Ikoyi Gate, why do anyone think it wouldn't arrest food fraud which concern all. Nations like China, USA, UK and country in Europe keep reviewing their reward system to encourage citizens to be more committed to blowing the whistle
An average Nigerian knows most of the perpetrators for they live among us and very much willing to blow the whistle while saving society and government from its public health threats

Awareness and advocacy would also awaken the needed consciousness regarding food quality in the society
Empowering the citizenry to proper understand food fraud and adulteration issues will intimate and sensitize the masses to be at alert, as no one hates to finance his own sickness or get nothing for value
Likewise, ability to difference between additive and adulterants in foods, read food labels and understand basic food laws would contribute to reduction of food fraud

Food fraud is opportunistic in nature and lack empirical normal distribution which indirectly make this act more challenging while on the other end, food fraudsters are too close to the value chains which enable them to beat the system at will. Hence a mouth watering reward system and food fraud education targeted at consumers who understand the value chain, including the consumers might be a way out for developing nations







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