The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has launched its “Read Your Label” campaign to encourage Nigerians to pay closer attention to food labels and make healthier dietary choices.
The initiative is aimed at protecting consumers and reducing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) linked to excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said understanding food labels can play a major role in preventing and managing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and certain cancers.
According to her, non-communicable diseases account for about 29 percent of deaths in Nigeria, with unhealthy diets high in sugar, salt, saturated fats and highly processed foods contributing significantly to the problem.
“The ability to read and understand food labels can have a direct impact on disease prevention and management,” Adeyeye said.
She explained that the campaign would also promote greater accountability among food manufacturers while helping consumers make informed decisions about the products they buy.
NAFDAC’s Head of Nutrition, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Chinyere Ikejiofor, said the campaign would educate Nigerians on how to interpret nutrition information and understand the Pre-Packaged Food Labelling Regulations 2022 through awareness programmes, capacity building and public sensitisation.
Also speaking, the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) warned that aggressively marketed ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages are contributing to the rising cases of diet-related illnesses across the country.
The organisation urged Nigerians to develop the habit of reading food labels to identify products with high levels of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats before making purchasing decisions.
