The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days.

According to the agency, cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days is susceptible to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, key agents of foodborne diseases that can lead to death.

NAFDAC Director General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made this known in a statement on Tuesday. The statement, which was released in commemoration of the 2024 World Food Safety Day with the theme, ‘Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected’, urged stakeholders in the food supply chain to take deliberate actions to institute a food safety culture in their operations to mitigate food hazards and risks that could compromise food safety.

The statement partly read, “She however, urged Nigerians to refrain from storing cooked food in the refrigerator for more than three days, warning that cooked food stored in the refrigerator for days is susceptible to contamination by disease-causing pathogens, key agents of foodborne diseases that can lead to death.”

Adeyeye remarked that food safety is not only important for public health but a sine qua non for economic development and food security.

She noted that food safety is a collective responsibility, adding that everyone from producers to consumers needs to play their part to ensure food safety.

She added that the campaign aims to promote global food safety awareness to strengthen efforts of preventing, detecting, and managing foodborne risks globally by highlighting the importance of being prepared for food safety incidents.

“Let us all stay true to the statements ‘food safety is everyone’s business’ and ‘food safety is a shared responsibility’ as we celebrate this year’s World Food Safety Day. Working together, we will continue to strengthen our food safety system, ensuring its resilience, robustness, and preparedness for the unexpected,” she said.

She added that for World Food Safety Day 2024, WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are asking all stakeholders along the food supply chain if they are prepared to address unexpected threats to food safety in an increasingly interconnected and interlinked global food supply.

According to her, while being ready to manage food safety incidents requires dedicated efforts from policymakers, food safety authorities, farmers, and food business operators, consumers can also play a very active role.

She, however, restated that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has developed programmes for the elimination, eradication, prevention, and control of diseases, which include the National Integrated Guidelines for Foodborne Disease Surveillance and Response, useful for preparedness and rapid response to emerging and re-emerging foodborne diseases.