As the world marks World Heart Day, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has warned the Federal Government against policies that could encourage greater consumption of ultra-processed foods. CAPPA said Nigeria is already confronting a worsening unhealthy food environment, with ultra-processed foods increasingly embedded in everyday diets and aggressively marketed across communities. The organisation cited its 'Junk on Our Plates' report, which documented how food and beverage companies use advertising, cultural imagery, celebrity endorsements, pricing strategies, and product placement to promote foods high in sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats.
CAPPA's report, based on monitoring across seven states, revealed that the growing prominence of such products comes at a considerable public-health cost. Diets high in salt, added sugars, saturated fats, and other chemical additives are risk factors for obesity, hypertension, diabetes, kidney diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke. The organisation noted that excessive sodium consumption is of particular concern, contributing to high blood pressure, one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium per day, equivalent to less than 5 g of salt. The WHO estimates that excessive sodium intake is associated with about 1.7 million deaths globally each year. Excessive sodium consumption is also associated with kidney disease, adding to an already serious health challenge in Nigeria, according to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
CAPPA stressed that these realities should make sodium reduction a public-health priority in Nigeria, particularly as the country continues to face gaps in specialised healthcare capacity and infrastructure needed to prevent and treat cardiovascular and kidney diseases. The organisation expressed concern over proposals to make the fortification of ultra-processed products, such as bouillon cubes, a mandatory nutrition intervention.
CAPPA argued that adding vitamins and minerals to an ultra-processed food does not make the product healthy or cancel out excessive sodium, sugar, or trans fats that may be present in it. The organisation rejected the argument that the widespread consumption of bouillon cubes makes them an appropriate vehicle for mandatory fortification. Instead, CAPPA said increasing the nutritional appeal of a heavily consumed processed product without addressing its sodium content could send contradictory signals to consumers.
CAPPA urged the Federal Government to prioritise access to diverse, affordable, and nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and other locally available foods. The organisation also called for stronger implementation of Nigeria's sodium-reduction measures, mandatory and easily understandable front-of-pack warning labels, effective regulation of unhealthy-food marketing, and other policies designed to enable Nigerians to make healthier choices.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA's Executive Director, said Nigerians should be able to flavour their food without compromising their health. He emphasised that protecting the heart also involves protecting the food environment and that adding micronutrients to an unhealthy product does not make it healthy. Oluwafemi urged the government to prioritise policies that make nutritious, minimally processed foods accessible and affordable while reducing Nigerians' exposure to excessive salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
Key points
- CAPPA warns FG against policies encouraging greater consumption of ultra-processed foods
- Organisation cites report on 'Junk on Our Plates' to highlight public-health cost of ultra-processed foods
- CAPPA urges government to prioritise access to diverse, affordable, and nutritious foods
