By Ajegena Manga, Lafia
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has trained 45 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on modalities for safe packaging of food products in line with the best standards practice.
The owners MAMEs who were drown from four Local Government Areas (LGAs) each of Nasarawa and Benue States, were farmers, processors and producers of various types of food products.
Speaking at the programme on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, Mr Kefas Musa, Led Consultant, Herald Consultants and facilitator said the participants were told safe food packaging, marketing and how to run successful businesses.
He added that the training had exposed the participants on how to package vitimin-A maize, cassava and orange sweet potato to finished and highly nutritional products.
He explained that despite the nutritional values of vitimin-A maize, cassava and orange sweet potato products made from them were not easily found in the market.
He further said that GAIN and many partners were supporting MSMEs with funds and technical know-how to encourage the massive production of products from crops with vitimin-A.
“We told them how to package thier products without destroying the vitimin-A in the process of production, storage and transportation to the market,” he said.
The consultant explained that packaging improves the shelf life of a product to protect the quality and safety to prevent damage and contamination.
Musa tasked MAMEs to carve a niche for themselves, have identity and register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to enable them access supports from government and partners.
He further said that packaging helps in maintaining the freshness of the products and protect it from dirt, insects, dampness, and breakage.
“Without packaging, your products will be vulnerable to hazard during distribution and storage thereby making it unsafe for consumption.
“Packaging serves as an identification of the product as it is package in a special-sized, colourful container to keep its difference from competitors’ products,” he added.
Also speaking, Mr Orngu Africa-Orngu, Junior Associate Strengthening Nutrition In Priority Staples, GAIN said the training was aimed at ensuring food nutrition security.
He added that the organisation was supporting farmers, farm workers as well as other workers in businesses to strengthen value chains thereby improving nutritional products.
He added that nutrition security was one of the most pressing challenges for sustainable social and economic development in the country.
“Meeting this need is our target in order to tackle malnutrition because the diets of many Nigerians are poor.
“Many Nigerians are currently experiencing vitamin and mineral deficiencies leading to severe health outcomes including premature and preventable death of children under five,” he added.
Ehada Isa, from Nasarawa State and Nguveren Ukange from Benue State who spoke on behalf of other participants, expressed gratitude for the training received from the organisation.
They said that they were told how to package and market their products as well as how to operate a successful and sustainable business.
They thereafter promised to use the knowledge gained to improve their businesses and package their products to ensure its safety.