NIFST Seeks Food Preservation Technology Against  Hunger

The Nigerian Institute of Food, Science and Technology (NIFST) has  called for the use of appropriate technologies in food processing and preservation to tackle hunger, wastage in order to enhance economic development.
Chairman, NIFST, Lagos Chapter, Mr Frederick  Popoola, made the call during the 46th NIFST Day, 2022, and the sixth Victoria Ojo Memorial Schools Debate held at Ikeja recently.
He said food processing and preservation played an integral part in ensuring that food does not go to waste, hence, the need to create more awareness among Nigerians.
According to him, beside food wastage, if people consumed food that was not well preserved and processed, the likelihood of people falling ill or having food poisoning was high.
“When a crop is not properly processed, losses take place and economic returns of farmers are reduced. Inadequate processing results in poor storage, and the less produce we have, the more hunger and poverty spreads in the country.
“It  is essential for us to adopt the required technologies for the storage and preservation of food, “he said.
Speaking on challenges of the institute, he solicited more support from the government in terms of favourable policies that would back their activities.
“We need more recognition from the government and we want to be carried along in anything they are doing in terms of foods, so that we can assist them to achieve their goals”, he said .
On the inter-school debate competition, Popoola said that the significance of the debates was to help students both at the secondary and tertiary levels understand essential critical thinking and presentation skills.