Babatunji Wusu –
The Oyo State government has formally forbidden the use of styrofoam for food service, storage, and other related activities.
The announcement comes just a few days after the state House of Assembly pushed the state government to enact the prohibition.
In response, the government established the Food Safety Compliance Enforcement Task Force, which would be in charge of ensuring that food safety standards are enforced throughout the state.
Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, the state Commissioner for Health, made the announcement on Monday during the Food Safety Stakeholders Forum and task force inauguration.
According to him, the government’s decision to ban styrofoam is an important step in maintaining and enhancing food safety standards in Oyo State.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Akintunde Ayinde, Ajetunmobi said, “Prevention is better and cheaper than cure; hence, people must adhere strictly to food standards to save lives in the state.
“The menace of food poisoning, indiscriminate use of chemical products for food production, processing, packaging, and other sharp practices being carried out by food business operators have become great public health concerns in the state.
“The directorate of Food, Water, and Laboratory Services is saddled with the responsibility to regulate food business operations to ensure the presentation of wholesome edibles for public consumption in the state, planned to double her efforts to monitor/inspect food business premises in the state.
“Consequently, the use of Styrofoam for food services, storage, and other related usage in the state is also banned.”
The commissioner focused on the task force’s intention to educate food sector stakeholders about the government’s priority on food safety requirements.
Previously, Afusat Akande, the ministry’s director of food, water, and laboratory services, outlined the necessary criteria for people participating in the food supply chain to gain accreditation.
Akande stated that these criteria included obtaining regular medical fitness certificates from designated state government hospitals, providing proof of routine fumigation of production facilities by an approved consultant from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and conducting water quality assessments by a recognized consultant from the Ministry of Health, among other requirements.
Ayinde, the permanent secretary and chairman of the task group, has promised to work with the ministry to achieve its objectives.
The task force includes members from a variety of organizations, including the state Food Safety Management Committee, the Nigeria Police Force, the Association of Table Water Producers, the Association of Canteen Workers, and many others.
The recent move by the Oyo State administration comes two months after the Lagos State administration implemented a ban on the use and distribution of styrofoam and other single-use plastics throughout the state.
The Abia State government, led by Governor Alex Otti, has also outlawed the usage of Styrofoam foils, sometimes known as ‘Take Away’.
throughout a statement signed and published by the State Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna, the administration enforced a ban on the usage of ‘Take Away’ food containers throughout the state, highlighting that the product had already been restricted in other states, such as Lagos. He encouraged the public to stop using the foils immediately until a comprehensive study into the potential health dangers is completed.
