A group of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Uganda has warned of a looming health crisis in the country due to the consumption of unsafe food.

Development Dairies reports that the CSOs, including SEATINI Uganda, Centre for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT), Food Rights Alliance, African Institute for Culture and Ecology, Uganda Farmers Common Voice Platform for Advocacy, called on the country to focus on food safety as the world marks the World Food Safety Day on 07 June.

According to a 2018 study by the Uganda Human Rights Commission, the safety of food in Uganda is compromised because everyone can sell food regardless of whether it is adulterated or contaminated and there is a gross misuse of chemicals.

It is understood that farmers are not adhering to simple rules on when a crop should be sprayed given the increase in the use of agrochemicals.

It is common to find fresh tomatoes on market stalls sprayed with pesticides. Sellers believe pesticides prolong the shelf-life of the harvested vegetables.

SEATINI’s Peninah Mbabazi said Uganda is off-track on the Malabo declaration which emphasises the need for food safety.

‘According to the 2022 CAADP Biennial report, Uganda has neither met the set target for the Africa Food Safety Health Index nor has it met the Food Safety Trade Index targets’, Nile Post quoted Mbabazi as saying.

‘As such, it is no wonder that numerous agricultural products are rejected in regional markets.

‘Unfortunately, it is the regular Ugandan consumer who bears the brunt of these challenges as they can only afford the unsafe foods sold widely on the market’.

For her part, Uganda Farmers Common Voice Platform for Advocacy’s Betty Aguti highlighted the government’s failure to amend the Food and Drug Act which is the fundamental law governing food safety in the country.

‘The law has not been amended to account for changes in technology, rising food safety related issues, and challenges related to agricultural practices, and food production among others’, Aguti said.

The group called on the Ugandan authorities to streamline the food and safety enforcement mandate in the country.

Also, they called for the strengthening of enforcement of standards by increasing funding for quality assurance agencies through adequate staffing to undertake market surveillance, testing, and certification activities.

Photo source: Daniel Mwebaza