The Clinical Services of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife (OAUTHC) hosted its inaugural Grand Round on Tuesday, 18th February 2025 focusing on food preservation and packaging—a topic of growing public concern. The event, modeled after the academic “Town and Gown” initiative, brought together top medical and academic professionals to educate the public on safe food preservation practices and the dangers of harmful preservatives.
In his opening remarks, the Chief Medical Director, Professor John Okeniyi emphasized the significance of the seminar, stating that such educational programs would be held bi-monthly to raise health awareness and guide the public in making informed decisions about food safety.
Delivering the keynote lecture, Professor Hezekiah Adeniran, a Food Science and Technology expert from OAU, explained that food preservation is essential for preventing spoilage and extending shelf life. He outlined various traditional and modern techniques, such as drying, freezing, fermentation, and canning, but warned against the growing use of harmful chemical preservatives.
He raised concerns about artificial additives like high fructose corn syrup, nitrates, and nitrites, which are commonly found in preserved foods. More alarmingly, he condemned the dangerous practice of using Sniper (a banned pesticide) and formalin (a chemical used for embalming) to preserve food substances such as fish, plantains, and beans.
In his own remark, Dietitian Oluwaseun Ogunniyi, Assistant Director of the Dietetics Department of the hospital, urged the public to return to natural food preservation methods used for centuries, such as salting, sugaring, smoking, and using honey. He emphasized that consuming fresh food is the safest option and warned against the resurgence of banned food preservatives in markets. “Some chemicals used in food preservation today are not just harmful; they are outright carcinogenic and pose severe risks to public health,” Dietitian Ogunniyi cautioned. He further stressed the dangers of children accidentally ingesting toxic substances commonly used in households.
The event reinforced the critical balance between food preservation and public health. While food preservation remains crucial for reducing waste and ensuring food security, experts warned that the indiscriminate use of harmful preservatives poses a major health threat.
Attendees and the general public were urged to stay informed, avoid chemically preserved foods, and embrace safer, natural preservation methods to safeguard their health and that of future generations.
