Nigerians harming themselves over excessive salt consumption – Experts

The Coalition Against Public Health Risks (CAPHR) has raised an alarm that the danger associated with Nigeria’s excessive salt consumption could be worsened over the planned adoption of the proposed policies to fortify foods with micronutrients using bouillon cubes, otherwise known as seasoning cubes.

The coalition at a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja urged the federal government, especially the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and others concerned, to promptly review the recently released National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey (NFCMS) report.

They said that the report contradicts existing national policies that advocate for reduced salt intake to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, given that bouillon cubes are already high in sodium, which many Nigerians consume.

 A member of the coalition and Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Mr Akinbode Oluwafemi, said that the ‘Bouillon Fortification: Public Health Versus Profit and Salt targets in Nigeria’ is a cause for concern.

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He said that certain industry players are spreading deceptive marketing information through social media influencers to promote Mono Sodium Glutamate (MSG) and Bouillon cubes known as (Maggi) as nutritious, safe and healthy for human consumption without also informing consumers that these products contain harmful quantities of sodium which could lead to hypertension, heart, and kidney failure.

“The rising burden of non-communicable diseases and the rising slump attack and hypertension in the country which could be linked to poor cardiovascular health resulting from loopholes in existing food safety policies and regulatory mechanisms which have greatly impacted the quality of food produced, marketed and consumed by the populace,” Oluwafemi said.

He said that the justification for this policy proposal is based on survey findings that Bouillon is consumed by 96% of the populace.

He said, “However, this defies one of World Health Organisation’s (WHO) criteria for food vehicle selection, which states that a suitable food vehicle must not pose a threat to public health. Resulting from the fortification of salt with iodine, Nigeria presently records an average daily salt consumption reaching up to 10 grams per day, dangerously exceeding the WHO recommended limit of 2 grams of sodium per day or less than 5 grams of salt per day, which is equivalent to just one teaspoon of salt daily.”

He therefore called for the immediate discontinuation of ongoing plans to use bouillon as a food vehicle for fortification as it does not meet all of WHO’s criteria.

Also, the Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED) Technical Advisor, Dr. Jerome Mafeni urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and other relevant agencies to accelerate preliminary activities for salt and sodium regulation in Nigeria.

He said they must prioritize public health over profit and ensure that the food products available in our markets do not pose unnecessary risks to the health of our citizens.

On her part, Bukola Olukemi Odele, Program Officer (Salt Targets) CAPPA, said that as much as delivering micronutrients to the populace is crucial, policymakers must ensure that policies and implementation programs for fortification align with the country’s public health aspirations, such as the reduction of diet-related NCDs.

 She said, “One such example of this scenario is the case of salt iodization, which, while preventing iodine deficiency, could inadvertently increase sodium consumption. Consequently, nutrition authorities may and, as a result, need to consider strategies that maintain the benefits of iodine fortification while also mitigating the health risks associated with higher sodium consumption.”