SON insists on global standards in food processing in Nigeria

THE Standard Organisation of Nigeria has insisted that food production and processing must be of the best global standard to guarantee safety and preservation.

Director-General of SON, Mr Osita Aboloma, spoke in Lagos at the opening of a technical committee set up by the Organisation to elaborate on standards for grinding plates, driving plates and grinding machine.

He said, SON was working on elaborating standards for agricultural food processing equipment and machinery to ensure quality of materials that would ensure standards and conform to global best practices in the processes of food production in Nigeria.

He said “the development and promotion of these standards will assure the quality of equipment, service parts and their outputs and add greater impetus to the agricultural sector’s contribution to food safety in Nigeria”.

Aboloma, who was represented by the Acting Director for Standards Development, Chinyere Egwuonwu, said that processing agricultural products is a procedure that transforms raw food materials into marketable or consumable food products for end users.

He noted that this mechanised process which utilises mixing, grinding, chopping, separating and emulsifying equipment in the production of food should be well scrutinised.

He observed that there has been an upsurge in local design and manufacture of these agricultural machineries and equipment which in turn has caused an increase in variations in the quality of materials used in manufacturing or fabricating such machines.

He, therefore, advised members of the Technical Committee to see the assignment as a call to national duty and use their wealth of experience and expertise from the various sectors to publish standards on grinding machines, grinding plates and driving plates that will not only guarantee quality products in Nigeria but also quality exports that will be acceptable worldwide.