NIGERIA – The Oyo State Government has banned the use of styrofoam for packaging food, as announced by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, during a food safety stakeholders’ forum held at the Ministry of Health in Ibadan.
Ajetunmobi highlighted growing concerns about food poisoning, the indiscriminate use of chemical products in food production, processing, and packaging, and other unsafe practices by food business operators.
In response, the state government has inaugurated a food safety task force comprising members from the State Food Safety Management Committee, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Association of Table Water Producers (ATWAP), and the Association of Canteen Workers.
Afusat Akande, Director of Food, Water, and Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health, emphasized that food chain actors must meet basic requirements to be certified, including obtaining routine medical fitness certificates from designated state government hospitals.
The Food Safety Compliance Enforcement Taskforce, headed by Permanent Secretary Akintunde Ayinde, has pledged to work with the ministry to achieve the state’s food safety objectives.
In a similar move, Lagos State banned the use and distribution of polystyrene and other single-use plastics in January, citing significant environmental concerns.
The Commissioner made the announcement for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who stressed that polystyrene’s non-biodegradable and toxic nature poses severe environmental risks.
Wahab noted that polystyrene contributes significantly to the blockage of drainage channels, litter on roads and markets, and various health issues such as cholera.
“Our state cannot be held hostage to the economic interests of a few wealthy business owners compared to the millions of Lagosians suffering the consequences of indiscriminate dumping of single-use plastics and other types of waste,” Wahab stated.
The ban in Lagos will affect supermarkets, traders, and other users, who must transition to biodegradable or compostable alternatives, such as paper bags.
The commissioner urged consumers and residents to replace polystyrene packs and single-use plastics with reusable food containers and water bottles.
In recent months, the state has initiated various initiatives to promote recycling. In October of the previous year, during the Year 2023 Walk for Nature exercise held at the Youth Centre in Onikan, Lagos Island, Wahab advocated for reducing the use of single-use plastic to address the escalating environmental issues linked to its disposal.
According to him, plastics threaten humanity by altering natural ecosystems, resulting in habitat loss, biodiversity, and climate loss. He added that managing waste disposal through recycling, reuse, and reduction is crucial.
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