CAPPA Executive Director, Comrade Oluwafemi Akinbode & Sample of bouillon
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has warned the Federal Government against making the fortification of bouillon cubes mandatory, saying the policy could undermine efforts to reduce Nigerians’ exposure to excessive sodium and other unhealthy nutrients.
CAPPA, in a statement marking World Heart Day, said Nigeria was already battling an unhealthy food environment in which ultra-processed foods are increasingly embedded in everyday diets and aggressively marketed to consumers.
World Heart Day, observed annually on September 29, was organised this year around the theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” which focuses on recognising overlooked signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease early.
The organisation said its Junk on Our Plates report, based on monitoring conducted across seven states, showed that food and beverage companies deploy advertising, celebrity endorsements, cultural imagery, pricing strategies and product placement to promote foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats.
According to CAPPA, the growing consumption of such products comes with significant public-health consequences, including increased risks of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
It particularly raised concern over sodium consumption, noting that excessive intake contributes to high blood pressure, one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that adults consume less than 2,000mg of sodium daily, equivalent to less than 5g of salt. CAPPA also cited WHO estimates linking excessive sodium intake to about 1.7 million deaths globally each year.
The group argued that Nigeria’s nutrition policies should prioritise reducing sodium, sugar and unhealthy fats in processed foods rather than making ultra-processed products more nutritionally appealing through fortification.
CAPPA maintained that adding vitamins and minerals to bouillon cubes would not make them healthy or cancel out excessive sodium, sugar or trans fats that may be present.
It also rejected the argument that the widespread consumption of bouillon cubes makes them an appropriate vehicle for mandatory fortification.
Instead, CAPPA urged the government to expand access to affordable and nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, while strengthening sodium-reduction measures and introducing mandatory, easy-to-understand front-of-pack warning labels.
The group further called for stronger regulation of unhealthy-food marketing, particularly where children, young people and low-income communities are targeted.
CAPPA Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said protecting Nigerians’ hearts must include protecting the food environment.
“Nigerians should be able to flavour their food without compromising their health,” Oluwafemi said, adding that the widespread use of bouillon cubes should not be used to justify exposing consumers to more sodium.
CAPPA urged the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to ensure that food and nutrition policies are guided by independent public-health evidence and the long-term interests of Nigerians.