Food safety experts have condemned the use of paraffin, rat poison and paracetamol as food preservatives, warning that consumers of such food are exposed to dangerous health consequences.

This was revealed on Monday during the commemoration of World Food Day at Tooro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal City held under the Theme: “Water is Life, water is food. Leave no one Behind”.

Food and health experts have come out to condemn the use of unsafe chemicals such as paraffin, rat poison and paracetamol as food preservatives say this puts consumers’ lives at risk.

Bernard Carlos Bwambale, the Food Systems and Nutrition Programs' Manager at Kabarole Research and Resource Center says there are schools which are using paraffin to preserve learner’s food and control hysteria and libido in girls and boys. He called on these schools to always consider student’s lives.

He further questions the post-harvest handling processes and cautions farmers to stop excessive use of pesticides and industrial chemicals without following the pre-harvest interval.

Henry Kimera from Global Consumer Center (Consent Uganda) tasked the public to speak up when consumer rights are violated.

The Fort Portal City Speaker, Albert Ahebwa noted that they are preparing an ordinance to improve food safety and security, saying there is a lot of evil done in the food stores.

He further called for a thorough investigation of stunted growth and malnutrition in the Tooro region, saying stuntedness is beyond eating the right food.