Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has expressed concerns that making bouillon fortification mandatory in Nigeria could have unintended consequences. According to CAPPA, this policy could encourage the consumption of ultra-processed foods, ultimately undermining efforts to reduce Nigerians' sodium intake. The organization emphasizes that Nigeria already faces an unhealthy food environment, with high-salt, high-sugar, and high-unhealthy-fat foods increasingly common in everyday diets.
CAPPA's 'Junk on Our Plates' report, which monitored food environments in seven states, found that food and beverage companies use various tactics to promote unhealthy products. These tactics include advertising, celebrity endorsements, cultural imagery, pricing strategies, and product placement, particularly targeting children, young people, and low-income communities. The report highlights the need for closer scrutiny of the nutritional composition and potential health effects of popular products like bouillon cubes.
Diets high in salt, added sugars, and saturated fats are linked to various health risks, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Excessive sodium consumption is of particular concern, as it contributes to high blood pressure, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The World Health Organisation recommends that adults consume less than 2,000mg of sodium daily, equivalent to less than five grammes of salt.
CAPPA argues that adding vitamins and minerals to ultra-processed products like bouillon cubes does not make them healthy or eliminate concerns over excessive sodium, sugar, or unhealthy fats. The organization rejects the argument that the widespread consumption of bouillon cubes makes them an appropriate vehicle for mandatory fortification. Instead, CAPPA suggests that the popularity of such products should prompt closer examination of their nutritional composition and potential health effects.
Making a heavily consumed processed product more nutritionally appealing without addressing its sodium content could undermine efforts to reduce salt consumption. CAPPA urges the government to prioritize access to affordable and nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. The organization also calls for stronger implementation of sodium-reduction measures, mandatory and easily understood front-of-pack warning labels, and tighter regulation of unhealthy-food marketing.
Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, emphasizes that Nigerians should be able to flavor their food without compromising their health. He argues that the widespread use of bouillon cubes is not a justification for exposing consumers to more sodium or presenting ultra-processed products as solutions to Nigeria's nutrition challenges. Oluwafemi stresses that protecting the heart also involves protecting the food environment.
CAPPA has urged the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that nutrition policies are guided by independent public-health evidence and the long-term interests of Nigerians. The organization emphasizes the need for policies that prioritize public health over the interests of food manufacturers. By doing so, Nigeria can promote a healthier food environment and reduce the risks associated with excessive sodium consumption.
Key points
- CAPPA warns that mandatory bouillon fortification could undermine Nigeria's salt reduction efforts.
- The organization emphasizes the need for policies that prioritize public health over the interests of food manufacturers.
- Diets high in salt, added sugars, and saturated fats are linked to various health risks, including obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
