This revised edition of The NAFDAC Guidelines For Food Hygienic Practices in Nigeria (NGFHP) is a follow up to the publication of the first edition which was in fulfillment of one of NAFDAC’s mandate, which is the compilation of guidelines for the production, importation and exportation, sales and distribution of food. 

The NGFHP has been produced with extensive reference to Codex texts and NAFDAC’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and presented in a booklet format to allow its wide use and understanding by the food industries, food handlers, consumers, Non – Governmental Organizations (NGOs), regulatory authorities, enforcement authorities and all tiers of government.

The provisions of these guidelines will constitute the focus of this article.

What are the objectives of the NGFHP?

The objectives of NAFDAC in developing these guidelines for Food Hygienic Practice” are to:

-Identify critical segments of the food chain where consumers must be adequately protected from illness or injury that could be caused by food consumption.

-Provide public confidence that freely sold food is suitable and safe for consumption.

-Provide clear cut principles and guidance on food hygiene practices to the industry, food handlers and consumers.

-Encourage the use of food safety management systems by the industry and other food handlers. 

-Provide guidance for the development of in-house hygiene manual by the industry and food handlers.

-Maintain confidence in internationally traded food.

– Encourage education of food safety managers in the industry on food safety management system.

What is the scope, use and definition of relevant terms under the guidelines?

Scope

-This document follows the food chain from primary production to the primary level, setting out the necessary hygiene conditions for producing food, which is safe and suitable for consumption.

-The document provides a baseline structure for the more specific codes and guidelines or regulations applicable to particular sectors of the food industry.

Roles of other Tiers of Governments, Industry, Community Based Organisations (CBOs) Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and Consumers.

– State Governments, Local Governments and Ward Leaders can consider the guidelines and how best they can encourage and collaborate in its usage to attain the aforementioned objectives . This could be in the form of State Laws, Bye Laws, e.t.c.

– The food industry should apply the hygiene practice set out in this document to:

• Provide food that is safe and suitable for consumption.

• Ensure that consumers have clear and easy- to- understand information by way of labeling and other appropriate means, to enable them protect their food from contamination and growth/survival of food borne pathogens by storing, handling and preparing it correctly.

• Establish post marketing surveillance to ensure proper handling of their products in their distribution network e.g. refrigerating yoghurt and not displaying margarine, etc. in direct sunlight.
• Maintain confidence in internationally traded food.

– Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that are concerned with safety and quality of national food supply may use this document in advisory and extension activities such as food safety monitoring and surveillance, data gathering and information dissemination, researches, surveys and studies, educating consumers on safe food hygienic practices, developing and coordinating active consumer groups etc.

-Consumers and domestic food handlers should recognize their roles and possibilities by following relevant instructions and applying appropriate food hygiene measures, as contained in this Guideline.

Use

-The underlying principle in this document is the safety and wholesomeness of any food available to consumers in Nigeria. This runs throughout the various sections of this text which started from primary production spanning through food production in establishments within the country; food production and distribution through mobile facilities, food preparations at homes for family consumption and hygiene precautions for imported foods to maintain their integrity.

-The document presents a general basic application, which may not apply in some instances. Such exceptions where there is the need for specific applications not contained here, or where there may not be need for any application could easily be identified with such phrases as “where appropriate” “inappropriate cases”, “where necessary” Food Safety Management Systems such as Good Management Practices (GMP), Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Risk Analysis, etc are the basic tools for the control of food hazards .

Definitions

For the purpose of this guideline, the following expressions have the meaning stated:

-Cleaning – the removal of soil, food residue, filth, grease or other objectionable matter.

-Contaminants – any biological or chemical agent, foreign matter or other substances not intentionally added to food, which may compromise food safety or suitability.

-Disinfection – the reduction, by means of chemical agents and/or physical methods, of the number of microorganisms in the environment, to a level that does not compromise food safety or suitability.

-Establishment – any building or area in which food is handled and the surroundings under the control of the same management. For the purpose of this text, this will include factories, warehouses, cold rooms, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, kitchen, markets, fast foods and grocery shops, retail shops, etc.

-Food Hygiene – all conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain.

-Hazard – a biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.

-HACCP – a system, which identifies, evaluates and controls hazards, which are significant for food safety.

-Food Handler – any person who directly handles packaged or unpackaged foods, food equipment and utensils, or food contact surfaces and is therefore expected to comply with food hygiene requirements.

-Food Safety – assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.

-Food Suitability – assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption according to its intended use.

-Primary Production – those steps in the food chain up to and including, for example, harvesting, slaughtering, milking, and fishing.

-‘Bukateria’ – a makeshift structure/premises where food is prepared, sold and eaten by consumers.

-Roadside Food Seller – a stationary food seller without any protective structure carrying out his or her operations in the open.

-Food Hawker – a mobile food seller displaying the wares either on her head or in cart/wheel barrow.

-Food Preparation – those activities like purchasing, washing, trimming, peeling, blanching, grinding, boiling, cooking, roasting, frying, etc. that leads to availability of ready – to – eat foods.

-Domestic Food Handler – a person involved in food preparation at home and not for commercial purposes.

-Food Chain – an imaginary linkage joining all the activities and step involved in food production right from the planting stage onto the consumption by the consumers

-Primary (Food) Producers – these are basically the farmers, and livestock rearers, fishermen etc.

What are the provisions of the guidelines on primary production?

Objectives

-To reduce the likelihood of introducing a hazard which may adversely affect the safety of food, or its suitability for consumption at later stages of the food chain. 

-Primary production should be done/managed in a way that ensures that food and its sources are safe; and the food is suitable for its intended use. Where applicable, this will include:

• Avoiding the use of areas where the environment compromises the safety of food.

• Controlling contaminants, pests and diseases of animals and plants in such a way as not to pose a threat to food safety.

• Application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP).
• Adapting practices and measures to ensure food is produced under appropriate hygienic conditions.
• Avoiding the use of food and water from sources that pose a threat to food safety.

What are the provisions of the guidelines on environmental hygiene?

-Potential sources of contamination from the environment should be considered. In particular, primary food production should not be carried out in areas where the presence of potentially harmful substances would lead to an unacceptable level of such in food. 

Hygienic Production at Food Sources

-The potential effects of primary production activities on the safety and suitability of food should be considered at all times. In particular, this includes identifying any specific points in such activities where a high probability of contamination may exist and taking specific measures to minimize the probability. 

-The HACCP – based approach may assist in the taking of such measures.Producers should as far as practicable implement measures to:

• Control contamination from air, soil, water, feedstuffs, fertilizers (including natural fertilizers), pesticides, veterinary drugs or any other agent used in primary production.
• Control plant and animal health so that it does not pose a threat to human health through food consumption, or adversely affect the suitability of the product; and

• Protect food sources from faecal and other contamination.

Handling, Storage and Transport

-Procedures should be in place to:

• Sort food and food ingredients to segregate material, which is evidently unfit for human consumption.
• Label boldly in words and pictures, segregated materials, chemicals and other materials in order to avoid cross contamination.

• Dispose of any rejected material in a hygienic manner.

• Protect food and food ingredients from contamination by pests, or by chemical, physical or microbiological contaminants or other objectionable substances during handling, storage and transport.

Care should be taken to prevent, as far as reasonably practicable deterioration and spoilage through appropriate measures, which may include controlling temperature, humidity, and/or other controls.

Cleaning, Maintenance and Personnel Hygiene at Primary Production

-Appropriate facilities and procedures should be in place to ensure that:

• Any necessary cleaning and maintenance is carried out effectively.

• An appropriate degree of personal hygiene is maintained.

Record Keeping/Documentation

Adequate record keeping procedures must be in place for control measures, sorting, storage, batch releases, etc. is strictly for informative purposes and neither constitutes legal advice nor a valid lawyer/client relationship.