Lagos — Again and again Nigerians have had to face the grim reality of deaths arising, as it were, from the meal table. Some have described it as food poisoning while others call it food contamination. Whichever name you choose to call it, the bottom line is that the incidence of death resulting from meals of doubtful edible quality is rather on the increase in the country.

In less than six months, two major such incidents have been reported in different parts of the country. The latest occurred in Eti Osa Area of Lagos a fortnight ago where six persons reportedly died after an amala (yam flour) meal, and 20 others were hospitalized for what was described as severe food poisoning.

A few months earlier, a similar incident had occurred in Kaiama area of Kwara state with some fatalities also. In the Kwara incident, the meal was coincidentally also amala. At other times in the past, it was beans, cocoa yams and cassava.

The question for us is not whether there is anything wrong with amala or beans or cassava all of which have become more or less staple meals in many parts of Nigeria. For centuries these foods have served their consumers well.

If therefore anybody died after a meal of amala or beans or cassava, the problem is likely that of poor or unhygienic handling of the food. A close observation of the way some of these items are processed or preserved shows that something can easily go wrong.

We are aware that some producers or marketers of these food items are careless. Some store them in places where they could easily pick up harmful substances or dangerous chemicals. Others in the bid to preserve the commodities spray them with insecticides that are injurious to human health. Even, most of the open markets where these commodities are displayed for sale are not hygienic enough. In many instances the food items are kept open where flies perch on them freely. Some are displayed near stalls for harmful chemicals, thus making them liable to contamination.

We recall that some years ago certain killer-beans were discovered to have been sprayed with dangerous chemicals in a bid by its sellers to protect it from insects. Those who were unfortunate to have bought and eaten the stuff paid dearly for it. A few died while many were hospitalized for serious organ damage

In the case of cassava, the problem is often with poor processing. Cassava fermentation is a process that must be completely observed if the cyanide content of the product is to be properly eliminated. However, some people cut short the process in a bid to rush it to the market. When this happens, it could lead to fatal consequences.

The challenge that this poses to the regulatory agencies is to be more vigilant and to devise a means of sensitizing both food vendors and consumers to the need to handle edibles more carefully. Food is one of God's best gifts to man. It should not be turned, wittingly or unwittingly, into a kill-joy. As we sympathise with those who lost their family members or friends in the recent amala incident, we call on the relevant agencies to isolate any remnants of the killer food; and to ensure that more Nigerians don't fall victims of it.

The National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has a real task in ensuring that food tables don't turn into grave yards for Nigerians.