CONSUMER EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH EDUCATION &

PROMOTION
COLLEGE OF HEALTH TECHNOLOGY, FOREIGN
LINKS CAMPUS, ILE - IFE
PREPARED BY
 MR. A. J. OMOTOSO
CHAPTER ONE

CONCEPT OF CONSUMER EDUCATION

Consumer is a person or organization that uses services such as health and

economic services or commodities. In economic systems consumers are utilities
expressed in the decision to trade or not.

The consumer is the one who pays to consume goods and services produced. As
such, consumers play a vital role in the economic system of a nation. Without
consumer demand, producers would lack one of the key motivations to produce: to
sell to consumers. The consumer also forms part of the chain of distribution.

Consumer Education is concerned with teaching people the skills, attitudes and
knowledge required for living as a consumer in the society. It is a fundamental
component of general education, which should support consumers in their attempts
to organise their everyday lives in a sustainable way.

Many people are not only unconscious of their own consumer behaviour, but do
not understand how and to what extent they can influence the economy, the
environment and the society through their individual consumer behaviour.

Relate Health Consumers to other Consumers:

Health consumers are the consumers that consume health services. They are those
consumers who consume different choices of health services available on both
curative and preventive medicine to better their life and promote well –being.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CONSUMERS:

(a) Psychographic Characteristics

Consumer market characteristics can be psychographic in nature. Psychographic
characteristics of consumers include interests, activities, opinions, values and
attitudes. Obviously, many magazines are geared toward a consumer's interest. For
example, prenatal magazines target expectant mothers who are interested in
learning more about caring for a baby. Additionally, consumer activities can
include participation in martial arts or basket weaving. Opinions and attitudes can
be both specific or general. Service provider may better understand consumer
opinions and attitudes after conducting a focus group, and can use that information
to tailor advertising or marketing campaigns. Consumer values can pertain to how
a group of individuals feels about certain social issues, which can be of interest to
nonprofit or charitable organizations.

(b) Behaviouralistic Characteristics

Behaviouralistic characteristics can also be garnered through marketing research.

Behaviouralistic characteristics of consumer markets include product usage rates,
brand loyalty, user status or how long they have been a customer, and even
benefits that consumers seek. Service provider may like to know how often their
consumers use their products. Service provider usually try to distinguish between
heavy, medium and light users, whom they can then target with advertising.

(c) Geographic Characteristics

Consumer markets also have different geographic characteristics. These

geographical characteristics are often based on market size, region, population
density and even climate, A small retailer may find opportunities in a small market
in which larger competitors have no interest.

Objectives of Consumer health

 Assist consumers in choosing better health products and services;

  Provide information regarding health products the consumers wish to buy
and the health services they wish to avail themselves of
 Help consumers recognize reliable sources of health information; and
 Guide consumers in buying health products and services.
 To educate consumers, balance consumer needs and degree of protection
and to provide relevant consumer rights and entitlements.
 To advice individual consumers and protect their rights.
 To ensure prices of goods are fair and appropriate with relevance to its
quality and value.
 To work with the existing laws in order to protect consumer’s interest and
general health.
 To encourage the involvement of society and citizens (consumers) in the
consideration, standardization and basic provision of their rights.
 To work towards ensuring production of high quality products.
 To study the fluctuations in the market with regards to the factors
affecting it, and to advice or make suggestions to the ministry and
organizations involved in the business and commercial sectors.
 To carry out activities such as the publication of bulletins and ceiling
price lists, as well as forming market organizations and consumer clubs.
Six consumer rights
1. Right to Safety
2. Right to Information
3. Right to Choice
4. Right to be Heard
5. Right to Redress
6. Right to consumer education
7. Right to be informed
Advantages of Consumer Education
1. Consumer education helps a person in making proper purchase. It enables the
consumer in making right selection.
2. Consumer education familiarizes the consumer with the problems which he
faces while making purchases. This education inculcates the logical viewpoint
in him.
3. Consumer education provides the consumer full information of marketing
conditions like various sources of purchasing a particular commodity, from
where to get cheap and best goods, the shops providing additional facilities, and
to latest products. All these information enables him in taking right decision
regarding shopping.
4. Consumer education familiarizes the consumer with various standards of
standardization and their markings.
5. One of the most important uses of consumer education is that it familiarizes
the consumer about the various acts enacted by the Government from time to
time. Consumer education helps the consumer in getting maximum satisfaction
by proper utilization of his money and leads a better living standard
6. Right choice of goods and services: When we understand that low quality
goods and services adversely affect our health, we see whether the goods and
services have quality or not at the time of buying them. For example, when go
to buy apples in the market, we taste them first and do confirm their quality; we
make similar practice while buying other things. We get this type of awareness
from consumer health education.
7. Protection of our own and community health: When we know that adulterated
food grains, low quality food, quack medicines, etc degrade our health, we take
necessary precaution against them. We also make our community aware of this
problem, so that it would be easy to raise our unified voice against such bad
practices and give pressure to the government to take necessary against them.
Therefore, consumer health education is to be made widespread to make
individuals and the community more conscious of their good health.
8. Consciousness for consumer rights and responsibility: Although it is the
responsibility of each and every citizen to protect consumer health, many people
have not taken interest on it. There are majority of people in Nepal who buy
goods recommended by shopkeepers. The laws related to consumer health have
clearly mentioned that we should note the price, quality, date of manufacture,
expiry date and the place where to keep it while purchasing a thing. The
government has enacted many acts and regulations in different dates for the
protection of consumer rights. However, it is due to less publicity of these laws,
most of the people is not aware about their consumer rights and is highly
deprived of their rights. Therefore, there is an urgent need to publicize
consumer health education to every house and community of the country.
9. Consumers’ health education helps us to choose consumers' goods and
services in the proper way;
10. It protects the public against the risk of injury associated with consumer
products

CHAPTER TWO

CONSUMER HEALTH AND SAFETY

Consumer health is when individuals or citizens who use services and buy products
are in a state of being well due to the goods or services being tested and considered
safe for use or consumption through research. Safety and health news are spread
far and wide by agencies in charge of the products to make consumers aware of
dangers and preventative measures of diseases.

How Do Government Ensure Health of Consumers

Most governments try to protect this state by offering disease prevention
information and warnings about products and services that pose a risk to public
health. The health of consumers represents more than freedom from disease; it
protects physical, social, and mental wellness and aims to prevent illness.

Governmental health agencies typically offer advice to promote a healthy

population. They provide information about disease prevention and the latest
research available. These agencies commonly employ researchers and scientists,
and work with universities and laboratories to discover modern methods of
prolonging life expectancy and improving overall health. One major function of
these agencies ensures that health information is readily available to the public.
They typically communicate with health professionals, educators, scientists, and
the public to make health and safety news widely available. Consumer health
organizations use the media, the Internet, and newsletters to raise awareness on
important health topics and educate the public about preventative medicine.

Government efforts to protect the public also center on food, drug, and product
safety. Consumer health information might warn the public about tainted food or
drugs, and provide a method of filing a complaint against a product or service.
Information is typically available on everything from products that emit radiation
to dietary supplements and cosmetics.

Making consumers aware of chronic and infectious diseases helps prevent their
spread and can improve prevention and treatment possible. When the public knows
about genetic, lifestyle, and environmental risks that cause disease, people might
be better equipped to prevent disorders like heart disease and cancer. For example,
research linking tobacco to cancer may result in lifestyle changes that save lives.

Infectious disease control represents another area through which government

protects the public from the spread of contagious illnesses. Public health agencies
promote the development of new vaccines, tests, and therapies to treat diseases that
once posed a serious health risk, such as measles, chickenpox, and influenza.
Research led to vaccinations that protect citizens from the spread of these
conditions and enhance consumer health.
 CHAPTER THREE

INFORMATION DISSEMINATION TO CONSUMERS

There is need to Getting the right information to people at the right time, in the
right place and in the right format can be a challenge. How your information
materials and resources reach your audience will have a significant impact on how
effective they are and it is important to plan your dissemination strategy at the start
of any information project. Who your audience is, what you want your resources to
do, the shelf life of your materials and how much money you have to spend will all
influence your methods of distribution.

ADVERTISING
In Latin, ad vertere means "to turn toward". The purpose of advertising may also
be to reassure employees or shareholders that a company is viable or successful.
Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various old
media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television
advertisement, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new
media such as blogs, websites or text messages.

Advertising is a paid form of mass communication that consists of the special

message sent by the specific person (advertiser or company), for the specific
group of people (listeners, readers, or viewers), for the specific period of time,
in the specific manner to achieve the specific goals. Advertising is any paid
form of non-personal presentation and promotion of goods, services, or ideas by
an identified sponsor.”
Advertising Objectives:
1. To Inform Buyers: This objective includes informing customers regarding
product’s availability, price, features, qualities, services, and performance.
Besides, it also includes informing them about changes made in the existing
product and introduction of new products. Company also highlights its location,
achievements, policies, and performance through advertising.
2. To Persuade or Convince Buyers: Company uses advertisement to persuade
or convince the buyers about superior advantages offered by its product.
Company communicates competitive advantages the product offers to induce
customers buy it. Comparative advertising is used to prove the additional
benefits of product at a given price.
3. To Remind Buyers: Marketer uses advertising to remind the buyers
regarding existence of company, products, maintenance of quality, superior
services, and chasing customer-orientation. Mostly, the existing firms aim their
advertising for this objective.
Here, the purpose is to inform that the company is still in existence and serving
customers in a better way. Due to huge information bombarded by a number of
companies, customers are more likely to forget name of company and/or
products and services it offers.
4. To Face Competition: Advertising is treated as the most powerful weapon to
fight with competitors effectively. Advertising enables the firm to respond the
competitors strongly. It helps the firm to distinguish its total offerings from
competitors.
In brief, the firm can face competition, can prevent the entry of competitors, or
can remove competitors away from the market. In competitive marketing
environment, the firm cannot survive without an effective advertisement.
5. To Achieve Sales Targets: Increase sales volume is one of the major
advertising objectives. A company can advertise its products in various media to
attract customers situated in different parts of the world. National and
international marketing is the result of advertising. Even, non-users can be
converted into users and usage rate can be increased. Thus, company can
achieve its sales objectives by advertisement.
6. To Build and Improve Brand Image: Advertising is used for brand
recognition and acceptance. A company can distinguish its brand by magnifying
major benefits the product offers. Advertisement attracts customers toward the
brand; they try it and accept it over time. In the same way, bad image related to
brand can be changed by systematic presentation of facts and scientific
evidences, and removing misunderstanding.
7. To Help or Educate People: Advertising is not always used only for
company’s benefits. It is meant for helping customers to make the right choice
of product. It educates people about availability of new products, its features
and qualities, price, services, and other related aspects. Such information is
instrumental for purchasing suitable products. Thus, it guides customers to
choose the most appropriate product.
8. To Build Company Image and Reputation: A company opts for
advertisement to build prestige and reputation in the market. Most of the
companies, though they are satisfied with the volume of sales, go for advertising
to acquire fame in the market. Many companies advertise its policies, activities,
and achievements to make a permanent place in the mind of people.
9. To Assist Sales Force and Middlemen: Advertising is an aid to middlemen
and salesmen. Advertising also popularizes the name of dealers. Likewise,
advertising provides necessary information to the buyers. Middlemen and
salesmen are not required to do the same. It eases the task of sellers. In the same
way, advertising encourages sales force.
10. Other Objectives: There are certain minor objectives of advertising, such
as:
i. To promote new products.
ii. To build long-term relations.
iii. To remove misunderstanding.
iv. To expand of market.
v. To gain confidence of buyers.
vi. To request customers to compromise with unavoidable circumstances.
vii. To seek apology of the buyers for any undesirable events,

Main Features of a Most Important Advertising

1. Paid Form: Only that attempt of the seller on which he/she has spent some
money to communicate information to the consumer is called advertising. If
without incurring any expenditure some information relating to some product or
service is published, it will not be called advertising.
For example, if an editor of some magazine, on his own, publishes news about a
particular product, it will convey to the consumers necessary information
regarding that product but no expenditure has been incurred by the seller for this
publication.
As such, it cannot be called advertising. It may be called propaganda or
publicity. Thus, any information about a product communicated free of cost
cannot be termed as advertising.
2. Impersonal Presentation: Advertising is non-personal presentation of
information. In other words, the advertiser and the consumer do not come into
personal contact. Advertising is a monologue and not a dialogue.
3. Speedy and Mass Communication: Advertising is a speedy medium of
communication. Besides being speedy, its operational area is very vast. In other
words, it reaches millions of people simultaneously.
4. Identified Sponsor: Another feature of advertising is that its sponsor can be
identified. Whenever we come across an advertisement, its sponsor is easily
recognized. Obviously, its sponsor can be either the seller or the producer of
that product or service. If due to some reason it is difficult to identify the
sponsor, then that information cannot be called advertising. It will be called
propaganda or publicity.
Inform and persuade: Advertising usually informs the potential consumer
about products and services, their benefits and utilities. It also persuades the
consumers to purchase such products and services.
In short, advertising is the art of influencing human action and awakening of a
desire to possess products and services. It is a mass persuasion activity duly
sponsored by the manufacturer, retailer, or dealer for whom the advertising is
done.
Some 10 Features of a Most Important Advertising
1- Mass Communication: An advertisement is a form of mass communication
that focuses on delivering a message to a specific audience. This audience can
be made up of a group of people or a specific individual (listeners, readers or
spectators).
There are several tools used by a commercial to communicate, such as
promotion, one-to-one marketing and guerrilla advertising.
2- Presence for a limited time: As a paid form of mass communication, your
exposure is only given for a limited time. In this way, an advertisement is only
broadcast for a specific period of time that is chosen depending on the goal that
you want to achieve.
An advertisement seeks to promote goods, services and ideas come from a
sponsor who pays to have their presence take place in different media. Being a
form of impersonal and paid communication, it tends to disappear in a short
time.
3- Includes different types of communication: An advertisement can be given
in an oral, written or audiovisual format. Has a presence in different media,
including newspapers, magazines, leaflets, television, film, radio, among other
mass media.
That is, an advertisement is issued by any channel that can ensure its exposure
to the public. Some authors define it as a printed, written, oral or illustrated item
that contributes to the art of selling.
In this way, its main purpose is to place itself in the group of individuals
individually or collectively in favor of the interests of the promoter.
4- Information Purpose: The main objective of an advertisement is to report
on a specific topic. This topic could be a product or service.
Some commercials are issued as expectation campaigns or launch of a new
good or service. Regardless of what an ad is about, its main purpose is to inform
the public about a chosen topic.
An advertisement contains a specific message about a product, service or idea,
so that anything that carries a message intended to be massively broadcast to a
person or a group of people, falls within the category of advertising.
5- Try to influence the buying decision or opinion: An advertisement seeks to
affect a user's purchase decision and direct it towards a specific good or service.
In this way, institutions and companies use advertising to modify their idea of
them, making people more likely to have a favorable opinion on their products
or services (Creative, 2015).
6- It's impersonal: An advertisement is a kind of impersonal mass
communication that aims to span a specific audience.
In this way, an advertisement is not aimed at a particular person, but at a group
of individuals than as consumers.
7- Media paid: An advertisement is not a free medium of communication, it
should always be paid for.
The person who advertises an ad is known as a sponsor and must spend money
to prepare the message he wants to convey, buy the space in between, monitor
his advertisement and the final results of all this effort.
This type of communication is the most expensive means to promote a product,
service or idea in the market.
For this reason, companies that use advertising always allocate a budget to
cover the costs related to this topic (Marketing, 2013).
8- It has a component of truth: It is difficult to determine if the message
conveyed by an advertisement is completely true. In many cases, there are facts
that are exaggerated in advertisements. However, due to certain legal
provisions, there is always a truth component in the issuance of these
advertisements.
However, there is no guarantee that the claims made in an advertisement are
completely true. Most advertisers focus on erotic, materialistic messages that
can engage the public's attention in a disinformation manner.
9- Applicable to several industries: The commercials are a popular and widely
used form of communication destined to catch the attention of a specific public.
This type of advertising is not only used by private businesses, it can also be
used by museums, non-profit organizations, government agencies, educational
institutions and other entities that want to attract the attention of their target
audience
10- Communication in a sense: Commercials involve a one-way
communication mode. The message moves from an organization or business to
an audience.
Consumers have no way to return the message to the sponsors. In this way,
advertisers do not know to what extent they have exerted some kind of
influence on their target audience.
Major Methods of Advertising
Brochures or flyers: Many desk-top publishing and word-processing software
packages can produce highly attractive tri-fold (an 8.5 inch by 11-inch sheet
folded in thirds) brochures. Brochures can contain a great deal of information if
designed well, and are becoming a common method of advertising.
Direct mail -- Mail sent directly from you to your customers can be highly
customized to suit their nature and needs. You may want to build a mailing list
of your current and desired customers. Collect addresses from customers by
noticing addresses on their checks, asking them to fill out information cards,
etc. Keep the list online and up-to-date. Mailing lists can quickly become out-
of-date. Notice mailings that get returned to you.
E-mail messages -- These can be wonderful means to getting the word out
about your business. Design your e-mail software to include a "signature line" at
the end of each of your e-mail messages. Many e-mail software packages will
automatically attach this signature line to your e-mail, if you prefer.
Magazines -- Magazines ads can get quite expensive. Find out if there's a
magazine that focuses on your particular industry. If there is one, then the
magazine can be very useful because it already focuses on your market and
potential customers. Consider placing an ad or writing a short article for the
magazine.
Newsletters -- This can be powerful means to conveying the nature of your
organization and its services. Consider using a consultant for the initial design
and layout. Today's desktop publishing tools can generate very interesting
newsletters quite inexpensively.
Newspapers (major) - Almost everyone reads the local, major newspaper(s).
You can get your business in the newspaper by placing ads, writing a letter to
the editor or working with a reporter to get a story written about your business.
Advertising can get quite expensive. Know when to advertise -- this depends on
the buying habits of your customers.
Newspapers (neighborhood) -- Ironically, these are often forgotten in lieu of
major newspapers, yet the neighborhood newspapers are often closest to the
interests of the organization's stakeholders.
Online discussion groups and chat groups -- As with e-mail, you can gain
frequent exposure to yourself and your business by participating in online
discussion groups and chat groups. Note, however, that many groups have
strong ground rules against blatant advertising. When you join a group, always
check with the moderator to understand what is appropriate.
Posters and bulletin boards -- Posters can be very powerful when placed
where your customers will actually notice them. But think of how often you've
actually noticed posters and bulletin boards yourself. Your best bet is to place
the posters on bulletin boards and other places which your customers frequent,
and always refresh your posters with new and colorful posters that will appear
new to passersby. Note that some businesses and municipalities have
regulations about the number of size of posters that can be placed in their areas.
Radio announcements -- A major advantage of radio ads is they are usually
cheaper than television ads, and many people still listen to the radio, for
example, when in their cars. Ads are usually sold on a package basis that
considers the number of ads, the length of ads and when they are put on the air. .
A major consideration with radio ads is to get them announced at the times that
your potential customers are listening to the radio.
Television-- Many people don't even consider television ads because of the
impression that the ads are very expensive. They are more expensive than most
of major forms of advertising. However, with the increasing number of
television networks and stations, businesses might find good deals for placing
commercials or other forms of advertisements.
Web pages -- You probably would not have seen this means of advertising on a
list of advertising methods if you had read a list even two years ago. Now,
advertising and promotions on the World Wide Web are almost commonplace.
Businesses are developing Web pages sometimes just to appear up-to-date.
Using the Web for advertising requires certain equipment and expertise,
including getting a computer, getting an Internet service provider, buying
(usually renting) a Website name, designing and installing the Website graphics
and other functions as needed (for example, an online store for e-commerce),
promoting the Website (via various search engines, directories, etc.) and
maintaining the Website.
Articles that you write -- Is there something in your industry or market about
you have a strong impression? Consider writing an article for the local
newspaper or a magazine. In your article, use the opportunity to describe what
you're doing to address the issue through use of your business.
Editorials and letters to the editor -- Often, program providers are experts at
their service and understanding a particular need in the community; newspapers
often take strong interest in information about these needs, so staff should
regularly offer articles (of about 200 to 900 words) for publication.
Press kits -- This kit is handy when working with the media or training
employees about working with the media. The kit usually includes information
about your business, pictures, information about your products, commentary
from happy customers, etc.
Press releases or news alerts -- They alert the press to a major event or
accomplishment and requesting, e.g., it get included in the newspaper; they
explain who, what, where, why and when; some include pictures, quotes, etc. to
make it easier for the reporter to develop an announcement or story.
Public service announcements (PSA)s -- Many radio and some television
stations will provide public service announcements for nonprofit efforts.
Usually, these PSAs are free.
Other Promotional Activities and Events
Annual reports - Disseminate these to key stakeholders; they're ripe with
information if they include an overview of your year's activities,
accomplishments, challenges and financial status.
Collaboration or strategic restructuring - If you're organization is
undertaking these activities, celebrate it publicly.
Networking - Spread the word to peers, professional organizations and those
with whom you interact outside the organizations, e.g., educators, consultants,
suppliers, clients, etc. (See Networking.)
Novelties -- It seems more common to find ads placed on pens and pencils,
coffee cups, T-shirts, etc. These can be powerful means of advertising if indeed
current and potential customers see the novelties. This condition often implies
additional costs to mail novelties, print T-shirts, etc.
Presentations -- You're probably an expert at something. Find ways to give
even short presentations, for example, at local seminars, Chamber of Commerce
meetings, trade shows, conventions, seminars, etc. It's amazing that one can
send out 500 brochures and be lucky to get 5 people who respond. Yet, you can
give a presentation to 30 people and 15 of them will be very interested in
staying in touch with you. Relationships with key stakeholders -- Identify at
least one representative from each major stakeholder group and take them to
lunch once a year. What seem as short, informal exchanges can cultivate
powerful relationships of interest and concern.
Special events -- These tend to attract attention, and can include, e.g., an open
house, granting a special award, announcing a major program or service or
campaign, etc.
Special offers -- We see these offers all the time. They include, for example,
coupons, discounts, sweepstakes, sales, etc.
Recent Movement in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations -- Social
Networking (Online): Social networking involves a variety of online tools that
can be used by people and organizations to quickly share a great deal of
information at very little cost. Many people are now hearing of some of those
tools, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Youtube.

STRATEGIES USED FOR DRUGS ADVERTISING

1. They serenade you. Distraction is the name of the game when it comes to
drug advertisements, and music is an effective way of grabbing your attention.
Next time you’re watching an ad, pay particular attention to the music played
throughout. Chances are it’s upbeat until it’s time to talk about side effects,
when the tempo may speed up or become even more distracting.
2. They’re vague about side effects. If you took the benefits and side effects
mentioned in an ad, and placed them on a seesaw, poor Mr. Side Effects would
be stuck high in sky, screaming for more airtime. Certainly, we can’t expect
drug makers not to tout the benefits of their products. But the FDA found that
drug makers spend a lot of time talking about how a drug will improve your life,
but often downplay or eliminate the risks. The government report also found
that oftentimes, the risks are stated in a vague way, such as, “Like all arthritis
medications, Drug X has been associated with a risk of serious infection.”
3. They overload your eyeballs. During the side effects portion of the ad,
scenes will typically change very quickly, often showing distracting joyous or
exhilarating moments, people benefiting from the drug, or some other nonrisk-
related scene. Moving camera angles and graphics flashed on the screen are also
used to distract viewers from the risks of a drug.
4. They show us what we wish we were. Who doesn’t want to be young and
vibrant? Drug companies use younger people, or find the hottest grandparents
around, to sway us into thinking their drug can make us look and feel that good,
too. (Of course, so do soft drink marketers, car marketers…and, well, marketers
of just about anything.) Since most of us watching the ads have physiques
similar to Homer Simpson’s, maybe we should be seeing more commercials
prescribing exercise, which can alleviate many symptoms caused by being
chronically overweight. Next time you feel yourself identifying with someone
in a drug ad, pinch yourself, get off the couch, and take a walk around the block.
Now that’s good medicine.
5. They show only the bright side. In a perfect world, all drugs would work as
prescribed and no one would suffer side effects. We all know that’s not the case.
But drug companies’ cheery ads are anything but fair and balanced. Sure, they’ll
show you a scene of a middle-aged couple soaking in a tub under a Tuscan
sunset, but they probably won’t include a scene of the guy burping up reflux
during sex, or sitting in the ER with a persistent eight-hour erection. While
neither of those scenes is likely to turn up in an ad even if the FDA guidelines
are adhered to, it’s hard for consumers to weight the benefits of the medications
against the risks when the commercials paint such a one-sided picture.
STRATEGIES USED FOR FOODS ADVERTISING
Advertised foods rarely look exactly like the real food they’re selling. In
fact, a number of sites around the web have pointed out just how false food
advertising can be. The truth is, the delicious-looking culinary concoctions
we see in print ads and television commercials would be anything but
appetizing if they were on your plate. Many times it wouldn’t even be fair
to identify them as food. They’re more like a terrifying Frankenstein-like
type of quasi sustenance commonly made up of a partially cooked food
and a carefully created combination of interesting additives. For example...
1. Glue
Real milk tends to make breakfast cereal soggy and rather unappetizing in
pretty short order. You know what doesn’t do that? White glue. Yogurt or
shampoo have also been known to do the trick.
2. Sponges, Cotton Balls & Tampons
It’s important for hot foods to look hot. The way to do that is to show
steam billowing off. Instead of stopping every few shots to nuke the staged
food, photographers will often soak one of these items in water,
microwave it, and skillfully hide it in the shot.
3. A Blow Torch, a Branding Iron & Some Shoe Polish
Most of the time, meat products aren’t actually cooked because cooking
can cause them to shrink and dry out. So items like steak and hamburgers
are carefully seared with a blowtorch. Afterwards, grill marks are added
with a branding iron and, as a finishing touch, some shoe polish or varnish
may be applied to provide a nice, succulent color.
4. Cardboard & Toothpicks
Even if you could get past the taste of the leather shoe polish described
above, a photography-ready hamburger would be unpleasant to deal with,
as they are typically loaded with sheets of cardboard for support and
toothpicks or pins that have been strategically placed to keep lettuce,
onion, and the rest of the package in their specifically staged place.
5. Motor Oil & Some Fabric Protector
A nice big stack of flapjacks can be a thing of beauty. The only problem is
those breakfast staples are quite porous – so the syrup just seeps right in.
Photographers solve that issue by coating them with a healthy layer of
aerosol fabric protector. And, because maple syrup doesn’t always look
great on camera, they might turn to motor oil as a stand-in.
6. Hairspray & Spray-On Deodorant
That ripe, delicious bunch of grapes you see in that ad have that matte look
to them because they’re coated in a healthy amount of one of these grocery
store spray can staples.
7. Glycerin
If a product is cold or icy, you can bet the version in the TV commercial is
covered in glycerin. The substance is used as a sort of catch-all on food
shoots to provide gloss and sheen, or give the appearance of moisture on
everything from a beer bottle to the leaves of a salad.
8. Paper Towels
If you’ve ever drizzled a bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup, only to
watch all of the delicious topping slide and fall off the ice cream, you'll
understand this trick. Photographers cut out little amorphous pieces of
paper towel, lay them over the top of the ice cream, then cover the paper
towel with the syrup. Apparently it does a bang up job holding the syrup in
place.
9. The Food That Makes Other Foods Look Good
The MVP of the food staging world is the mashed potato. Whipped spuds
are used for all sorts of aesthetic purposes. They’re loaded into syringes
and then injected straight into meat to plump up specific parts of a turkey
or roast. They’re dyed different colors and used to play the role of ice
cream. And they’re baked into pies to provide a sturdy interior that won’t
fall to pieces when a slice is taken out.
10. Antacid & Soap Bubbles
Soda doesn’t look so crisp and refreshing without an overabundance of
bubbles. A little antacid tablet typically gets the stuff churning and
bubbling. Dish soap can be used for creating larger surface bubbles.
11. Tweezers
How specific do the details of food photography get? It’s not uncommon
for a hamburger bun to be methodically covered with sesame seeds by a
person with tweezers, glue, and an incredible amount of patience.
Tweezers are also useful in assembling Asian and Italian noodle-based
dishes - with the placement, shape, and curvature of each noodle being
dissected, assessed, and set carefully in place. Just like you do it at home,
right?
Others Tips and Tricks for Food Advertising
Food advertising is all about presenting the most delectable preparations
though in reality it might be a very simple meal, with the intention of tempting
people to buy.
The idea behind advertising food is to conceal or only partially disclose the hard
facts about a food item and attribute qualities to it which may actually not be
true at all. Food manufacturers advertise in a manner that shows their products
to be different from all others in that segment and hence improve their sales.
Some of the tricks they can use are listed below.
Tricks for Food Advertising
Tempting pictures - The first that attracts a reader’s attention is the picture of a
mouth watering product. Hence food manufacturers have to ensure that they use
the best photography skills and “dress up” the product to look tempting. There
are now food “stylists” who are like make-up artists for food, transforming even
the most insipid product into a tempting delicacy.
Catchy jingles - Food and music have a good connection. A catchy jingle turns
all eyes towards a commercial, and the music forces viewers to see the
advertisement till the end. Repeated viewing will actually tempt them to buy the
food product.
Labels on packages - Though traditionally not considered part of advertising,
food labels are mandatory and it is an advertising gimmick to present
information in a manner that the least beneficial ingredients appear in miniscule
amounts.
Depicting fun – All advertisements both as commercials on the screen or as
newsprint depict fun and joyful activities along with the food product, which
appeal to individuals caught in stressful environments. The ambience provides
the right impact.
Characters that appeal - Most food companies try to rope in a character like a
movie star, a sports personality or a cartoon character since the masses relate to
him, and his endorsement of a brands adds to the appeal.
Tempting Pricing - Irrespective of the actual price, the advertised price is
always one that actually tempts potential customers. The price may be of a very
small quantity but it attracts attention and lures people to the counter.

CHAPTER FOUR
 QUACKERY

Quackery is defined as the promotion of a false or unproven health method for

profit. Fraud involves deceit. People generally like to feel that they are in control of
their life.

Quacks take advantage of this fact by giving their clients things to do—such as
taking vitamin pills, preparing special foods, meditating, and the like. The activity
may provide a temporary psychological relief, but believing in false things can
have serious consequences. The loss may be financial, psychological (when
disillusionment sets in), physical (when the method is harmful or the person
abandons effective care), or social (diversion from more constructive
activities). . . .

Quacks portray themselves as innovators and suggest that their critics are rigid,
elitist, biased, and closed to new ideas. Actually, they have things backwards.

Despite the advanced state of medical science, many people with health problems
turn to dubious methods. Faced with the prospect of chronic suffering, deformity,
or death, many individuals are tempted to try anything that offers relief or hope.
The terminally ill, the elderly, and various cultural minorities are especially
vulnerable to health frauds and quackery. Many intelligent and well-educated
individuals resort to worthless methods procedures with the belief that anything is
better than nothing. Victims of quackery usually have one or more of the following
vulnerabilities:

Lack of suspicion

Many people believe that if something is printed or broadcast, it must be true or

somehow its publication would not be allowed. People also tend to believe what
others tell them about personal experience. Many people believe that any health-
related claim in print or in a broadcast must be true, and many are attracted by
promises of quick, painless, or drugless solutions to their problems.
The mass media provide much false and misleading information in advertisements,
news reports, feature articles, and books, and on radio and television programs.
News reports are often sensationalized, stimulating false hopes and arousing
widespread fears. Many radio and television producers who promote
unsubstantiated health claims say they are providing entertainment and have no
ethical duty to check the claims.

Belief in magic

Some people are easily taken in by the promise of an easy solution to their
problem. Those who buy one fad diet book after another fall into this category.

Overconfidence

Despite P.T. Barnum's advice that one should "never try to beat a man at his own
game," some strong-willed people believe they are better equipped than scientific
researchers and other experts to tell whether a method works.

Desperation

Many people faced with a serious health problem that doctors cannot solve become
desperate enough to try almost anything that arouses hope. Many victims of
cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and AIDS are vulnerable in this way. Some
squander their life's savings searching for a "cure."

Fears of social unacceptability or growing old (wrinkles, loss of hair and sensory
acuity, decreased sexual potency, and incontinence) can also lead people astray.

Alienation

Some people feel deeply antagonistic toward scientific medicine but are attracted
to methods represented as "natural" or otherwise unconventional. They may also
harbor extreme distrust of the medical profession, the food industry, drug
companies, and government agencies.
TERMINOLOGIES

Misbranded;- wrongly labeled foods inadequate information about the

manufacturer packer or distributors.

Adultrated food ;- this is the food of drug items that is fifthy period or
decomposed intentionally or by error. It may contain substances that are injurious
to health which might have been concealed by either coloring or flavouring or
additives. Some valuable ingredient might have been omitted of substitute in whole
or in part.

Consumer goods;- those products and services purchased by the ultimate

consumer for his or her own use.

Consumerism;- Trend toward consumers becoming more activists willing to take

action against what they see to abuses in the business system.

CHAPTER FIVE

CONSUMER PROTECTION IN NIGERIA

“The customer is king and is always right”. This saying gained wide acceptance as
consumer protection laws were enacted and customers and consumers became
more aware of their rights when purchasing goods and services. Encarta
dictionaries define a consumer as a buyer of goods and services and as someone
who consumes something by eating it, drinking it or using it up. Consumer
protection law is a group of laws designed to ensure the rights of consumers as
well as fair trade competition and the free flow of truthful information in the
market place. Basically, consumer protection laws are laws that are designed to
protect consumers by ensuring that consumers have access to accurate information
about products and services for sale. Consumerism is the protection of rights and
interests of consumers especially with regard to price, quality and safety.
A consumer is logically entitled to some rights, which include the right to
satisfaction of basic needs, the right to safety, the right to information, the right to
choose, the right to redress, the right to consumer education, the right to consumer
representation and the right to a healthy environment. Essentially consumer
protection laws are designed to prevent businesses that engage in fraud or specified
unfair practices from gaining an advantage over competitors and may provide
additional protection for the weak and those unable to take care of themselves.
Consumer protection laws are a form of government regulation, which aims at
protecting the rights of consumers.

Where a consumer is not satisfied or feels shortchanged, he or she is entitled to

seek for redress by possible compensation through a regulatory body. In Nigeria
for instance, such a body is the Consumer Protection Council (CPC). The
Consumer Protection Council was established by Act No. 66 of 1992 to provide
holistic protection of the consumer in line with the United Nations Guidelines for
Consumer Protection of 1985. The CPC is an agency of the Federal Government of
Nigeria, supervised by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment. It is the apex
consumer protection agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Though it was
established by an Act in 1992, it commenced operations only in 1999, when its
institutional framework was put in place. This was the first formal step towards
giving the Nigerian consumer hope of redress when wronged by a product or
service he chose to use.

Despite this structure set up by the Nigerian government to ensure consumers are
protected; Nigerian consumers are among the most exploited in the globe. You talk
of consumer exploitation and you think of the maltreatment that Nigerian tenants
suffer in the hands of landlords – incessant hikes in rents. You have the case
epileptic power supply by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and yet
exorbitant bills are at your doorpost even before the month ends. Most products in
the marketplace do not meet the standard projected or advertised to consumers.
The laws are in place, the bodies to tackle these issues already exist. So we ask
why many Nigerian consumers are left helpless when they receive goods or
services that are below standard? Mrs. Ify Umenyi, Director General, Consumer
Protection Council (CPC), said:

Our mandate requires us to, among others, eliminate hazardous products from the
market, provide speedy redress to consumers complaints, undertake campaigns as
will lead to increased consumer awareness, ensure that consumers interest receive
due consideration at the appropriate forum, and encourage trade, industry and
professional associations to develop and enforce in their various fields quality
standards designed to safeguard the interest of consumers…While using all
legitimate means to eliminate the scourge of consumer rights abuse in the Nigerian
market place, we are conscious of the fact that an uninformed consumer population
cannot be effectively protected if they do not know that they have rights, what the
rights are, and how the rights could be protected.

To ameliorate the plight of consumers in Nigeria, the CPC currently runs a radio
program tagged ‘Consumer Speaks Radio Network’. But beyond that, the CPC
should organize town hall meetings and road shows to major markets and cities to
educate both the sellers and buyers on their duties and responsibilities. It might
also be helpful if they open up more offices nationwide to make their services more
accessible to the average Nigerian.

In cities like Abuja, phone lines are made available so consumers can call in to lay
complaints against producers and providers of goods and services. The Standard
Organization of Nigeria (SON) in recent times have implemented stringent and
clear guidelines to inform exporters and assure Nigerian consumers that imported
products comply with applicable regulations. Also in Lagos for example, the
SON/CPC have a market desk that is fully functional at the Alaba International
market. The market desk provides buyers the opportunity to authenticate the
quality and genuineness of products purchased from any shop within the market
especially the electronic section.

Another agency in Nigeria that its functions are tailored towards protecting the
consumer is the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control
(NAFDAC). NAFDAC was established in 1993 with functions to regulate and
control the importation, exportation, manufacturing, advertisement, distribution,
sale and use of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and
chemicals. It is important to note here that NAFDAC has been very effective in the
past and if its potential and activities are properly harnessed, it would certainly be
crucial in protecting consumers in Nigeria.

Despite the fair attempts that have been made by these agencies, the truth of the
matter still remains that the Nigerian consumer is a long way from being king in
the real sense of the word. It has been observed by commentators that although the
CPC Act recognizes the rights of consumers, it does not specifically provide for
these rights as they are merely implied and subsumed into the functions of the
Council and the state committees established by the Act. It is therefore safe to
conclude that mere existence of the law is not enough. Specific protective and
compensatory measures should be clearly established for any infringement on any
of the consumers’ rights. Doing so would strengthen the CPC Act in Nigeria.
Furthermore, the Consumer Protection Council need to embark on sustained
sensitization of consumers on their rights and also push for the amendment of
specific sections of the CPC Act to give aggrieved consumers unfettered access to
courts to pursue their rights.

 Consumer protection;- is the law and regulation designed to protect consumer

rights and enhance consumer interest. Example of consumer protection, laws
which could be passed in Nigeria to prohibit deceptiveness practices include;-

(a) Consumer information legislature

i. Fair package and labeling act
 ii. Clothing products labeling act
iii. Electronic product labeling act
iv. Food packaging and labeling act
(b) Consumer personal health and safety legislation
i. Pure food and drug act
ii. Drug amendment act
iii. Drug abuse act
iv. The pesticide amendment act
v. Hazardous substance labeling act
vi. Consumer product safety act
vii. Cigarette labeling and advertisement act
viii. Meat inspection act
ix. Flammable fabric act
x. National traffic and motor vehicle safety act
(c) Consumer economic protection legislation
i. Investment companies investment act
ii. Securities acts amendments
iii. Automobile information disclosure act
iv. Real estate settlement act
Function of some of consumer protection laws are mentioned below;-
(a) Fair, packaging and labeling;- this require that certain information be disclosed
on packages or labels. This information includes product identification the
name and address of the producer or distributer and quality information.
(b) Pure food and drug act;- this prohibit the adulteration and misbranding of food
and drugs.

AGENCIES AND ORGANS OF CONSUMERS PROTECTION IN

NIGERIA
1. CONSUMER PROTECTION COUNCIL
The Consumer Protection Council Act is provided for under Chapter C25, Laws
of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. It is an act to provide for the establishment of
the consumer protection council and for matters connected therewith. The
Council is made up of a chairman, a representative of each state in the Federal
Republic of Nigeria and persons representing the ministries of Health,
Commerce, Industry, Science and technology and Petroleum resources.
Functions of the Consumer Protection Council
• Provide speedy redress to consumers’ complaints through negotiation,
mediation and conciliation;
• Seek ways and means of eliminating from the market hazardous products and
causing offenders to replace such products with more appropriate alternatives;
• Publish, from time to time, the list of products the consumption and sale of
which have been banned, withdrawn, severally restricted or not approved by the
Federal Government;
• Cause an offending company or individual to protect, compensate, and provide
relief and safeguards to injured consumers or communities from adverse effects
of technologies that are inherently harmful;
• Organise and undertake campaigns and other forms of activities as will lead to
increased public consumer awareness;
• Encourage trade, industry and professional associations to develop and enforce
in their various fields quality standards designed to safeguard the interest of
consumers;
• Issue guidelines to manufacturers, importers, dealers and wholesalers in
relation to their obligation under the act
• Encourage the formation of voluntary consumer groups or associations for
consumers, well-being;
• Ensure consumer interests receive due consideration at appropriate forums and
provide redress for the exploitation of consumers;
• Encourage the adoption of appropriate measures to ensure that products are
safe for either intended or normally safe use; and
• Perform such other functions as may be imposed on the council.

Functions of NAFDAC
 Conduct appropriate tests and ensure compliance with standard
specifications designated and approved by the council for the effective
control of quality of food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, packaged
water, and chemicals.
 Undertake appropriate investigation into the production premises and raw
materials for food, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water and
chemicals and establish a relevant quality assurance system, including
certification of the production sites and of the regulated products
 Undertake inspection of imported foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical
devices, bottled water, and chemicals and establish a relevant quality
assurance system, including certification of the production sites and of
the regulated products.
 Compile standard specifications, regulations, and guidelines for the
production, importation, exportation, sale and distribution of food, drugs,
cosmetics, medical devices, bottled water, and chemicals
 Undertake the registration of food, drugs, medical devices, bottled water
and chemicals
 Control the exportation and issue quality certification of food, drugs,
medical devices, bottled water and chemicals intended for export
 Establish and maintain relevant laboratories or other institutions in
strategic areas of Nigeria as may be necessary for the performance of its
functions.
  Regulate and control the importation, exportation, manufacture,
advertisement, distribution, sale and use of drugs, cosmetics, medical
devices, packaged water and chemicals.
NAFDAC envisions that by making these functions known, that its actions will
be apparent “in all sectors that deal with food, cosmetics, medical devices,
bottled water, and chemicals to the extent of instilling extra need for caution and
compulsion to respect and obey existing regulations both for healthy, living and
knowledge of certain sanctions or default.Despite the establishment of
NAFDAC, the sale and use of fake drugs did not end.

CHAPTER SIX

PROBLEMS WITH PRODUCTS

In light of scientific and technologic advances, it is not surprising that many people
believe that health is purchasable. The health marketplace abounds with products
of every description to accommodate people’s desires.

The problem areas include:

 Dietary supplements;

 herbal and homeopathic products;

 exercise devices; diet pills and potions;

 self-help books,

 recordings, and gadgets;

 youth and beauty aids;

 and some types of over-the-counter drug products.

The designer and manufacturer of a product have a moral obligation to make sure
that a customer consumer is not injured by it when used. Also, both the designer
and manufacture must be socially and environmentally responsible. Putting it in
simple terms, the final product must not be a danger, cause damage to people in
any way or damage the environment.

A number of Government agencies try to protect the general public from products
that are unsafe. Laws also protect the consumer and some are outlined below.

The Consumer Safety Act is mainly concerned with safety especially when
considering clothing, toys and electrical goods. The government can ban dangerous
goods with this Act.

The Trades Description Act protects the customer against false claims. For instance
if a manufacturer says that a product will increase intelligence and it obviously
fails to do so - then the manufacturer can be taken to court. The Trades
Descriptions Act tries to ensure than manufacturers claims about their products are
true.

The Sales of Goods Act is aimed at ensuring that goods work in the way they
should and that they last a reasonable amount of time.

Fire Safety Regulations - aim to protect the public against poor quality furniture
that could be a fire hazard. The aim is to stop the sale of furniture that is easily set
alight and give off dangerous toxic fumes.

FOOD BORNE INFECTIONS.

An acute intestinal or systemic illness associated with ‘’something we are’ ’is

likely to be called ‘’FOOD POISIONING’’ .Actually many such i11ness are
communicable diseases caused by 1iving disease organisms that have entered a
body via food and are best characterized as food infections. Food poisoning
(discussed in the next section ) is caused by the present of bacterial of other toxics
in contaminated food.

One food borne infection that is common in all parts of the world is
SALMONELLOSIS. There are many closely related species of salmonella. These
bacterial find conditions highly favorable to their rapid growth in dairy products,
poultry, custard, gravies, salads, and smoked fish .Rats, mice, and poultry, as well
as humans’ may harbor salmonella organisms.

FOOD POISONING

Important food poisoning occurs mainly from bacteria toxins produced by bacteria
growing in the food or by some poison that has been introduced to the food
accidentally. There are some poisonous plants, but there is little danger of any of
them being except poisonous mushroom, which are sometimes eaten by persons
who elected them thinking they were an edible variety. Whereas food infections
are followed by an incubation period before symptom develops, the effects vary
with the amount of the particular food eaten of more exactly, with the amount of
loan invested.

 Botulism is a food poisoning resulting from ingestion of a toxin produced by

clorrisium botulism. Since this spore producing bacterium produces toxin
only under oxygen-free conditions, poisoning is rare. In other words, food
eaten raw or fleshly cooked will not contain the poison even though the
spores are present. Commercial canneries heat the sealed cans on jars
sufficiently to kill the spores and the ruby prevent them from developing
into the toxin-producing bacterium because home-canned, nonacid food
especially vegetables, may not have been heated sufficiently when canned, it
may contain the deadly poison .As a precaution, therefore, such foods
should not be tasted until they are boiled 15minutes with thorough
stirring .This amount of heat destroys the toxin, Botulism, which is marked
 by respiratory paralysis, has a high facility rate and exposed persons should
be given the antiserum immediately.

 Staphylococcal poisoning is the most common type of food poisoning. It is

caused by the toxin of the pathogen staphylococcus bureaus found on the
skin. It multiplies rapidly in food containing milk and starch, such as
custards, cream-filled pastries, and cream sauces. Outbreaks have occurred
when these food have not been kept under refrigeration poisoned persons
have general entric disturbances, and severe abdominal pain exclusion of
food-handlers with pustule skin infection from bakeries, restaurants, and
other food establishment is a preventive measure.

Milk sanitation

It is difficult to keep milk in a sanitary condition, because it is not a clear fluid,

but a suspension that hides dirt readily. It is a good medium for the growth of
bacteria, and they increase rapidly unless the milk is kept at a low temperature.
Diseases that may be spread by infected milk include hepatitis, septic sore throat,
dysentery, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, brucellosis, acute diarrheal disease, Q
fever, and bovine tuberculosis.

In many cases milk must be produced at a considerable distance from the point
where it is finally used. Some large cities obtain milk from farms several hundred
miles distant. It is particularly important that milk be kept clean, since it is the one
animal food that is consumed uncooked in great quantities.

Bacteria that are not disease-producing cause two kinds of changes in milk-
fermentation and purification. Fermentation usually results from growth of lactic
acid bacilli, which sour milk by breaking down the milk into lactic acid. Sour milk
is not injurious to the health; indeed, yogurt and other specially fermented milks
are widely used foods. Lactobacillus acidophilus as common used in the carefully
controlled fermentation processing. When milk undergo putrefaction, then proteins
are attacked by anaerobic bacteria. Such milk is alkaline in reaction and bitter to
the taste. It may cause a disturbance in digestion

MILK SANITATION REQUIRES:

(1) Health cows (free from nastitis, tuberculosis, brucellosis, of other diseases);

(2) Clean environment (barn and cow yards);

(3) Clean and healthy workers;

(4) A separate milk room outside the barn for the handling of milk;

(5) Suitable equipment and utensils;

(6) Effective cleaning and sanitizing of cans pails, bottles, coolers, and other
equipment;

(7) Prompt cooling following by proper handling and delivery, and

(8) Pasteurization. Even with the first seven precautions listed,

MEAT SANITATION

Meat that is to consumed locally is inspected by the state or local health

department. In large abattoirs an inspection is made both before and after the
animal is killed. One reason for the inspection is to see that the animal is free from
such diseases as tuberculosis, anthrax, trichinosis, tapewarm, and septic conditions.
Later inspections of head are to make sure that the meat has not become infected.
Supervision of the processes of slaughter is also provided to see that the death of
the animal is immediate and withdraw of blood, that the intestines, hide, and hair
are promptly removed, and that there is immediate cooling.

FOOD PRESERVATION
The prevention of bacterial growth by drying or by the use of sugar, salt, or vinegar
in high concentration has long been used as a means of food preservation. The
commercial canning of food is now done on such a scientific scale that spoilage is
very rate. Home canning is not carried out so scientifically, and home – canned
foods, especially canned beans, spinach, tomatoes, and corn, as we have said,
should be reheated before consumption because of the danger of botulism.

Progress in the art of refrigeration has made a great contribution to the variety of
the year-round American diet. Refrigeration plants and the transportation of food at
low temperature on train and airplane have made perishable. Quick freezing, with
temperature at -250 to 350 and holding temperature at 00 to 100f, is now carried out
commercially and individual homes. This process of freezing produces small
crystals in the cells of the plant or animal tissues so that the cells walls are not
ruptured. The result is that these foods appear firmer when thawned than to foods
preserved under slow freezing. Food preserved by freezing is canoed less than that
preserved in any other manner. No flavor is added, and every little is taken away.
A minimum change in nutritional values taken place. Frozen foods do decompose
rapidly when removed from refrigeration and should be used immediately after
thanwint.

In the development countries consumers were being protected by the establishment

of consumer council. The basic principles on which the consumer council found as
work are fill information about a choice of foods bought, redress food certified
complaints; protection from unfair pressures in marketing and advertising.

Consumption is the use of foods and services to satisfy wants. A consumer is a

person who makes use of foods and services to satisfy personal or household
needs. All individual and families are therefore consumers. Nigerian consumer
faces many problems today, some of these arise from the great varieties of new
products on the market which give the consumer many alternative he/she knows
little about.
This is accomplished through enabling individuals to acquire the necessary
knowledge, skills, and attitudes they require in order to know their rights as
consumers discern or judge information and consume intelligently within their
means or available resources.

Consumer programmes, are the programmes , that are organized for the interest
and protection of the consumer. Such programmes ensure the safety of consumers
and help them to obtain necessary foods and services at reasonable prices as well
as when as where they so desire. The programmes can be provided by both the
government and the community. Consumer protection is the law and regulation
designed to protect consumer rights and to enhance consumer health therefore is
concerned with the safety of the food and other goods and organisms that can bring
about illness and pathogens that cause food poisoning or food infection are first
determined, this is the responsibility of the products. This had to be enforced by
law and regulations.

Nigerian consumer faces many problems today some of these arise from the great
varieties of new products in the market which give the consumer many alternatives
she/he knows little about.

WHO’S PROGRAMME ON SUBSTANCE ABUSE

The overall goals of who’s programme on substance abuse are to reduce the impact
that existing substance abuse the been the health and welfare of population
everywhere and to prevent new-substance abuse in all its forms.

SELF OBJECTIVES ARE:-

(1) To reduce the demand for addictive substance

(2) To reduce the impact of substance abuse on the health and welfare of individual
and families.
(3) To develop effective approach to the treatment of substance depending and
associated diseases

(4) To collaborate in controlling the supply and use of psycho-active substance.

(5) To integrate relevant health component into all development programmes

designed to reduce the supply of illict narcotic drugs.