Food director warns on quail eggs

THE Director of Food safety from Tanzania Food and Drug Authority (TFDA), Raymond Wigenge, has strongly warned business persons who engage in selling Quail eggs and lure people to use them on claims that are immune and capable of treating various diseases affecting people. Wigenge’s action comes about after this paper contacted him for a clarification following reports that were published in some flayers and billboards that people gets cured from various diseases such as HIV, Diabetes and many others after using quail eggs. Such flayers have been distributed widely and some people have confessed that had been successfully treated and becomes cured of the diseases from which the7y have been suffering after using such eggs. Suzan Lyimo who is residing at Sinza Kwa Remmy suburb on the outskirts of the Dar es Salaam city is engaged in selling the eggs each one at Sh. 2,000 and a quail chick at Sh. 6,500 where as one tray of quail eggs is fetched at Sh. 20,000. She has been in the forefront to incite people to use such eggs after having noticed of their quality which she said is good to treat such diseases. “If you eat one egg its quality is equivalent to one who consumes 6 normal eggs of a traditional hen”, she s aid and insisted that it was more imperative is one consumes it while is in a raw form. Apart from Suzan, some people have confirmed to this paper that, they have bought one tray of such eggs at a cost of between Sh. 30,000 and Sh. 40,.000 respectively. However, the Guardian managed to contact the Director Wigenge and noted that, these are words proclaimed by business people who look after the high profit margin of their business enterprises and nothing else. “You know these business people do lure people for the sake of making profit, and we food experts say that those eggs have some qualities just like other eggs and moreover are not capable of curing such diseases whatsoever”, he said. He added that people are ought to be careful enough and take precaution if possible due to the situation which could harm them and find spending lots of money for nothing. He gave an example and noted that in the past people engaged in baobab oil trading and lured many people that such oils were capable to treat various diseases whereas is not unless experts proves them are correct. He said there have been so many businesses which people use as a trick to lure their minds into accepting with their concepts in trading, where as it is not true that food can cure disease. Speaking about the food security in the country, he noted that about 2.2 million people die annually due to the facts that are not using proper foodstuffs.