…As Dentist warns Bad breath could lead to gum disease if unchecked***
Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural
Development, says absence of sure-bake yeast, a baking ingredient, in the
country was hampering the inclusion of cassava in bread.
Ogbeh said this in an interview with the newsmen in Abuja on
Wednesday.
A report saysthat sure-bake yeast is a blend of active dry
yeast and bread improver which makes bread-making easier and is recommended for
bread-making.
The minister however disclosed that the problem would soon
be solved as a U.S.-based Nigerian had agreed to commence the production of the
ingredient in the country.
“There are issues with cassava bread which we are trying to
resolve now.
“There is something called sure-bake yeast which they say we
must add to cassava, otherwise, the bread won’t rise and that has been an issue
with the bakers.
“The Nigerian in the U.S. said he would come and produce it
here. We have heard that there is a glut of cassava and that is why the farmers
are not harvesting now,’’ he said.
The minister noted that government was ready to support the
private sector for the production of industrial starch and syrups from cassava.
“We are also moving into high grade industrial starch and
syrups, but again, to build those factories, you use stainless steel equipment
and they cost money.
“We are talking of five to 10 million dollars to set up such
a factory. Nobody can borrow that from a bank in Nigeria and survive.
“That is why we are looking for funds and the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) is helping to find funds to give people who want to invest in
the processing,’’ he said.
The Federal Government under former President Goodluck
Jonathan, in 2014, launched the first commercial 10 per cent composite cassava
flour in bread.
Dr Akinwumi Adesina, former Minister of Agriculture, said at
the launch that government’s goal was to ensure Nigeria became the largest
cassava processor as it had been the largest producer of the commodity in the
world.
In the meantime, a Dentist, Dr Innocent Osazuwa, on
Wednesday, said persistent bad breath or bad taste in the mouth may be a
warning sign of gum disease.
Osazuwa, a staff of a hospital in Benin, made the disclosure
in an interview with the newsmen.
He said “gum disease is caused by buildup of plaque on the
teeth caused by bacteria.
“Bacteria causes the formation of toxins which irritates the
gum and if gum disease continues untreated, it can damage the gum and the
jawbone.”
The dentist said that bad breath, also called ‘halitosis’,
could be embarrassing and in some cases might even cause anxiety.
He added that “bad breath is often caused by a buildup of
bacteria in your mouth that causes inflammation and gives off noxious odour.
“Cleaning between teeth daily once a day is very important.
“This helps to remove plaque and food particles from between
the teeth and under the gum line too.
“Tooth decay-causing bacteria still lingers between teeth,
where toothbrush bristles cannot reach.”
He explained that brushing the teeth twice a day with a
soft-bristle brush and replacing toothbrush every three or four
months would help to eliminate bad breath.
He noted that the symptoms of bad breath vary, depending on
the source or the underlying cause.
According to him, some people worry too much about their
breath even though they have little or no mouth odour, while others have bad
breath and do not know it.
He said the causes of bad breath include food, poor dental
hygiene, use of tobacco products, the lack of balanced diet, wrong medications,
dry mouth and the lack of drinking water.
He advised anyone with such problem to see a dentist for
treatment.
