According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in Africa, more than 91 million people fall sick and more than 137,000 die each year due to the consumption of unsafe food.
In Abidjan, the issue of food safety is not always taken into account in markets and restaurants. Our reporting team met Abidjan residents who shared their opinion on the matter with us.
“Well, in the market, often, when you leave, there are certain things that are very good, when you buy, well, it’s very good. But there are certain things when you buy too, where there is for example meat, like fish, often there is some when you eat, really, you wonder if there are products in it. Here, often even fish when you pay, when you do there, really, it’s kinda weird in the mouth. It’s like there’s some stuff, it’s not really good. That’s it, but there’s some stuff too, when you buy there’s no problem”, explains a local resident.
In Bonoua, a city located about 1h30 from Abidjan stands the factory of the leader in the production of fruit juices in Côte d’Ivoire. A few months ago, this one was splashed by a user who mentioned an alleged poor quality of their product. We met Mr. Emerson AKA, the quality manager of the company who reassures good hygienic conditions of their manufacturing processes.
The Ivorian government has made food safety a priority. This is a major objective of the National Livestock, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Development Policy. Actions are taken to ensure the safety of the population.
Food safety refers to the protection of food against microbial, chemical, and physical risks that can occur at all stages of the chain, in order to prevent foodborne diseases.