Dr Matthew Ahmed, the State Programme Coordinator made this known in Bida during a one day sensitisation programme on health, environment and safety for rice and cassava processors in the state.
“We want you to make sure that the environment you live is clean so that we don’t eat dirty and contaminated food. We want you to know and observe personal hygiene in order to ensure that the food you produce is safe for consumption,” he said.
Ahmed said that the exercise would also help the processors to know their health status as well as help them imbibe personal hygiene, safety and cleanliness in their daily activities.
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Similarly, Dr Eunice Nmadu, a resource person from the Community Health Department, Federal Medical Centre, Bida said the training was apt to preventable diseases in the society.
Nmadu urged the processors to adopt the modern technique which would not constitute health hazards to public health.
“The modern methods in food processing eliminate impurities that cause health problems and contamination. We want you to adhere to international best practices in the production and processing of food.
“All these and more will make you and your family and the society at large to stay healthy,” she said.
The Resource Person lectured the processors on environmental sanitation of the processing units of rice and cassava and right and wrong practices in drying foodstuffs as well as personal hygiene and food hygiene.
Also, Hajiya Fati Abdullahi, a cassava processor from Lokogoma cassava processing centre in Wushishi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the training exposed them to the importance of hand washing and how to keep their homes and processing centres clean.
The rice and cassava VCDP is a collaboration of the Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in the six states of Anambra, Benue, Ebonyi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba. (NAN)
