A course taken by Dr. Opasola
Food is one of the most basic needs of human beings, but food can also become a vehicle for disease when it is poorly handled. From the farmer who produces the food to the trader who sells it, the food vendor who prepares it and the consumer who eventually eats it, every stage presents an opportunity for contamination.
As an Environmental Health professional, I have learned that food safety is not simply about whether a meal looks clean. A plate of food may look attractive and still contain harmful microorganisms, chemicals or other hazards that cannot be seen with the naked eye. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that unsafe food can cause more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoeal illnesses to some cancers (WHO, 2026).
This is why safe food handling should be taken seriously in Nigeria, particularly in homes, markets, restaurants, bukaterias and street-food settings.
Food Safety Begins Before Cooking
Food safety does not begin in the kitchen. It begins from production.
Vegetables may be contaminated through unsafe irrigation water or contaminated soil. Meat and other animal products can become contaminated during slaughtering and processing. Fish may be exposed to polluted water, while grains and other stored foods can develop problems when storage conditions encourage pests or mould growth.
This means that food safety requires attention throughout the food chain. WHO describes food safety as a shared responsibility involving governments, producers, food handlers and consumers (WHO, 2026).
In Nigeria, this is particularly important because food passes through many hands before reaching the consumer.
The Market Can Become a Point of Contamination
Nigerian markets are important sources of food for millions of households. However, poor environmental conditions around food-selling areas can create food-safety risks.
Food displayed close to open drains, refuse, stagnant water, dust or animals can become contaminated. Flies and other pests can also transfer microorganisms from waste to food.
During environmental health inspections and sanitary assessments, factors such as water supply, waste disposal, drainage, cleanliness of food premises and personal hygiene are important considerations. These are not merely aesthetic concerns. They can directly affect the safety of food sold to the public.
NAFDAC’s food hygiene guidance recognizes food handlers, food premises, equipment, utensils and food-contact surfaces as important parts of food hygiene control (NAFDAC, 2024).
Clean Hands Are a Powerful Food-Safety Tool
One of the simplest ways to reduce food contamination is proper handwashing.
Food handlers should wash their hands before preparing food, after using the toilet, after handling waste and whenever their hands become contaminated. A person may unknowingly transfer microorganisms from their hands to ready-to-eat foods.
This is especially important where the same person handles money and food. NAFDAC guidance advises food handlers to avoid handling money while serving food where possible and to wash their hands before returning to food handling (NAFDAC, 2019).
The WHO’s first key to safer food is therefore simple: keep clean (WHO, 2026).
Keep Raw and Cooked Food Separate
Another common food-safety problem is cross-contamination.
Raw meat, poultry, fish and other raw foods can carry microorganisms. If a knife, cutting board, plate or other utensil used for raw food is subsequently used for cooked food without proper cleaning, microorganisms can be transferred to the cooked food.
For example, cutting raw chicken and then using the same unwashed knife to cut tomatoes for a ready-to-eat meal creates an unnecessary risk.
The WHO recommends separating raw and cooked foods and using separate equipment where possible (WHO, 2026).
Cook Food Thoroughly
Cooking is another important barrier against foodborne disease.
Foods such as meat, poultry, eggs and seafood should be cooked thoroughly. Soups and stews should reach adequate cooking temperatures, while previously cooked foods should also be reheated properly before consumption.
However, cooking alone does not guarantee food safety. If cooked food is subsequently exposed to dirty utensils, contaminated surfaces, insects or unclean hands, contamination can occur again.
This is why food safety requires several protective measures working together rather than relying on one step.
Temperature Matters
After cooking, how food is stored becomes extremely important.
Leaving cooked food at room temperature for extended periods can allow microorganisms to multiply. This can become particularly concerning in Nigeria’s warm environment.
NAFDAC guidance recommends protecting ready-to-eat foods from environmental contamination and maintaining appropriate holding temperatures, including hot foods at suitable temperatures and cold foods at 5°C or below (NAFDAC, 2019).
Food vendors therefore need appropriate storage and serving practices rather than simply covering food and leaving it for many hours.
Safe Water Is Part of Food Safety
Clean water is essential for washing ingredients, utensils, equipment, hands and food-contact surfaces.
Using contaminated water during food preparation can introduce microorganisms directly into food. This is particularly important when preparing foods that will not undergo further cooking.
The WHO’s fifth key to safer food is to use safe water and raw materials (WHO, 2026).
Environmental health practice therefore connects water safety directly with food safety. Protecting water sources, maintaining sanitation and ensuring proper waste disposal can all contribute to safer food.
Street Food Deserves Attention, Not Stigma
Street food is an important part of Nigerian life. It provides affordable meals and supports the livelihoods of many people. The solution is not to label all street food as unsafe.
Instead, attention should be placed on hygiene conditions.
Food should be protected from dust, flies and other sources of contamination. Utensils should be clean, food should be properly covered and vendors should maintain good personal hygiene. NAFDAC specifically provides hygiene requirements for street-food operations, including protection of cooked foods and appropriate food-contact practices (NAFDAC, 2019).
What Can Environmental Health Professionals Do?
Environmental Health Officers have an important role in food safety.
Their responsibilities can include sanitary inspection of food premises, monitoring hygiene conditions, educating food handlers, promoting safe water and sanitation, identifying environmental hazards and supporting enforcement of food-safety requirements.
Food handlers also need regular training. Nigeria’s current NAFDAC Food Hygiene Regulations require food handlers to be trained, instructed and supervised in food hygiene appropriate to their activities (NAFDAC, 2025).
But regulation alone is not enough. Consumers also have responsibilities. Washing hands before eating, storing food properly, reheating leftovers thoroughly, using safe water and avoiding visibly contaminated food are simple actions that can reduce risk.
From Market to Plate
Food safety is a chain. If one link is weak, the consumer may eventually bear the consequences.
A farmer must produce food safely. A transporter must prevent contamination. A trader must maintain hygienic storage. A food vendor must practise good personal and environmental hygiene. A household must prepare and store food safely.
The WHO summarizes these responsibilities through five simple principles: keep clean; separate raw and cooked; cook thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; and use safe water and raw materials (WHO, 2026).
Food safety may sometimes appear to be a small household issue, but it is actually an important environmental health and public health responsibility. In Nigeria, safer food requires cooperation between government agencies, environmental health professionals, food businesses, vendors and consumers.
A safe meal is not simply one that looks good on the plate. It is food that has been protected from contamination from production to consumption.
References
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). (2019). NAFDAC Guidelines for Food Hygienic Practices (NGFHP).
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). (2024). NAFDAC Guidelines for Food Hygienic Practices (NGFHP).
- National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). (2025). Food Hygiene Regulations, 2025.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2026). Food safety.
- World Health Organization (WHO). (2026). Five keys to safer food.
