Health Concern as Unbranded MSGs Flood Markets

Dike Onwuamaeze

All over the world, health is considered a major issue. The health of any nation or the society stems from the kind of foods residents of such society consume. This aptly demonstrates how significant the food we eat is critical to our health.

Given the level of sensitisation created by health experts and nutritionists over the last few years, one is safe to conclude that people are increasingly becoming conscious of what they take in and how it can impact their growth or health. But in the face of hunger ravaging many developing countries such as Nigeria, food consumption is now seen more as a survival than quality intake.

In Nigeria, food is consumed mostly for survival. Like other developing countries, there is little or no attention paid to the nutrient constituents and the impact of food on health. According to the United Nation, an estimated 9.2 million Nigerians constitute six per cent of the global population with food consumption gaps and depleted livelihoods with Nigeria currently ranking 103 out of 116 countries assessed with a Global Hunger Index of 28.3 per cent with at least five per cent of the global burden of under-nutrition and more than 14 million malnourished children. This reason, alone is responsible for why Nigerians mix ingredients just to survive.

It is frustrating to note that every fast selling goods or product, counterfeiters would produce something similar without regards to specification or standards. Beyond the fact that counterfeiting discourages investment, it is worrisome that sub-standards are becoming a source of concern for the health of citizens.

A visit to nearby market would leave one shell-shocked at the frightening volume of substandard products across the food chain, bearing various brand names. More often than not, these kind of products lay claim to being superior as renowned brands than those we already know. Just as we have witnessed imitation and influx of substandard products in the food chain, infiltration is also being replicated in the pharmaceutical industry. A case in point that comes readily to mind is Panadol. This was what necessitated the memorable advertising campaigns against fake products in the pharmaceutical industry back then, which ended with ‘if e no be Panadol, e no fit be like panadol’. Not only did the advert raised the consciousness of Nigerians against buying fake brands of Panadol, it also boosted in its sales, simultaneously dispelling claims of the drug’s efficacy.

Nevertheless, there is no doubting the fact that regulatory agencies like the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, and Standard Organisation of Nigeria, SON, have taken the battle against the criminals in the bid to curb the menace of substandard and fake products in the market. They have been doing this in their regulatory roles with a focus on quality, distribution, sales and use of products. Over the years, these agencies have embarked on advocacy campaigns and market storms that had resulted into the apprehension of some producers of these sub-standard or fake products.

As we already know, purchase of substandard goods constitute health risks to consumers. In 2021, a tragic event occurred in Kano which left three persons dead after consuming an adulterated flavoured drink.

Several tests conducted by NAFDAC on the adulterated drinks showed that the addition of dangerous chemicals as additives to the flavoured drink was responsible. Further findings by the Agency also revealed only two of the five flavoured drinks identified in the unfortunate incident were registered in NAFDAC’s database, the other three were not.

In light of these happenings, it has become imperative for every Nigerian to become more vigilant by ensuring that they take critical look at the products they are buying for NAFDAC approval.

Though, one may be tempted to buy cheap product and in large quantities, it is important to remember that you may be compromising your health in the process. For this reason, it is pertinent to verify important details such as date of production, expiry date, brand name, NAFDAC approval, among other vital information.

In recent times, Kaduna and some parts of the North have been heavily infiltrated with unbranded and substandard monosodium glutamate (MSG), which health experts have begun to raise alarm over the impending health implications.

“Monosodium Glutamate” (MSG) is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a flavour enhancer which has been used effectively for over a century to bring out the best flavours in food. The food culture of the North being an age-old tradition of spicy and seasoned delicacies that fill the environment with an inviting aroma is a match made in palatability for the adoption of monosodium glutamate in their cooking.

Little wonder, it remains the biggest market for this brand of seasoning. As delicious as this combination may sound, there is danger in the abuse of the market with unbranded monosodium glutamate by merchants who are hell-bent on forcing unhealthy foods into the bodies of people. These unbranded monosodium glutamates are sold in the open from uncovered sacks and in measurements to unsuspecting buyers who have chosen quantity over quality. Unlike leading brands like Ajinomoto, Vedan which are packed in sachets, NAFDAC approved, and sold in healthy sizes, these unbranded types are the opposite. The alarming part is that their manufacturers cannot be traced to check for their authenticity. More worrisome is that they are sold on the cheap which could be a signifier of their being substandard and unhealthy for human consumption.

As stated earlier, the responsibility does not belong to NAFDAC, SON and other regulatory bodies alone, every Nigerian must look out for themselves and their fellow citizens to avert this looming health hazard. Food vendors should be conscious of the health of their customers by using standard branded products in their cooking, same goes for households- wives, and housekeepers should not play games with the health of their family members. If we all could imbibe the saying “You are what you eat” whenever we visit the market, we would save many from serious health issues by shouting down the merchants of unbranded monosodium glutamate, the sellers of fake/substandard drugs, the sellers of adulterated flavoured drinks, bottle water among other items that serve as refreshments.