Antibiotics in meat and chicken

 The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development states on its website, it’s mission is transforming the agricultural sector to create jobs, create wealth and ensure food security, and focus on agriculture as a business.

It is the arm of government saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the livestock, fisheries, trees, crops and ensures food safety.

That brings me to the question of who is responsible for regulating the use of antibiotics in farm animals in the country. Many farmers who raise cattle and chickens use antibiotics to treat their animals that are sick or to fatten these animals, especially chickens, which are massively reared commercially.

Concerns about raising animals with antibiotics is becoming rampant, as antibiotics use increases the risk of some of these bacteria spreading to humans, when the meat is not properly handled and cooked. In these days when a lot of Nigerians patronize fast food restaurants who source their meat from these commercial farmers.

The increase in antibiotics resistant bacteria in our food supply is quiet alarming and my advice would be to choose free range organic chickens.

My opinion is that NAFDAC, which is statutorily mandated to regulate the food and drug environment in the country is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Health. NAFDAC is stretched to its limit in trying to checkmate the rampant activities of the drug barons; to adequately police the food industry in the country which is growing by leaps and bounds.

The regulation of food safety has taken a back seat to the fight against fake and counterfeit drugs.

 There is a need for the agency to be split into two different entities and the food agency to be handled by the experts in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.