NIGERIAN COUNCIL OF FOOD SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY (NiCFoST)

CODE OF ETHICS
MANUAL

FOR PROFESSIONAL FOOD SCIENTISTS

AND TECHNOLOGISTS
IN NIGERIA

FEBRUARY 2022

NiCFoST TD001

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 ABOUT NiCFoST

The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) was established by the
NiCFoST (Establishment) Act, 2019.

The Council is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation
(FMSTI) to regulate the practice and profession of Food Science and Technology in
Nigeria.

Pursuant to this, the Council is responsible for the development of curriculum of Food
Science and Technology programmes and its variant Disciplines (Food Technology,
Food Science, Food Science & Nutrition, Food Science and Biotechnology, Brewing
Science & Technology, Brewing & Beverage Technology etc.) in the tertiary institutions
and for accreditation of such programmes in partnership with National Universities
Commission (for Universities) and National Board for Technical Education (for
Polytechnics and Monotechnics).

It shall also grant practice licence to qualified Food Scientists and Technologists and
approve the business locations for their practice.

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 NIGERIAN COUNCIL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(NiCFoST)

MANDATE

To regulate the Practice and Profession of Food Science and Technology in Nigeria.

OUR VISION

Efficient professional management of the various segments of the Nigerian Food Value
Chains and Supply Systems following current best scientific practices for food security.

OUR MISSION

To develop and promote the highest standards in the training and practice of Food
Science and Technology profession in Nigeria.

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 NIGERIAN COUNCIL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(NiCFoST)

CODE OF ETHICS MANUAL FOR PROFESSIONAL FOOD SCIENTISTS

AND TECHNOLOGISTS IN NIGERIA

NiCFoST TD001

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 CONTENTS

1.0 Background 7

2.0 Obligations to the Consumer and the Client 8

3.0 The Food Science and Technology Profession 9

4.0 Food Scientists and Technologists as Employees 10

5.0 General 11

Appendix 12

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1.0 Background

The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) was established by
NiCFoST (Establishment) Act, 2019. The Council is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of
Science, Technology, and Innovation (FMSTI) to regulate the practice and profession
of Food Science and Technology in Nigeria. Pursuant to this, the Council is responsible
for the development of curriculum of Food Science and Technology programmes and
its variant Disciplines (Food Technology, Food Science, Food Science & Nutrition, Food
Science and Biotechnology, Brewing Science & Technology, Brewing & Beverage
Technology etc.) in the tertiary institutions and for accreditation of such programmes
in partnership with National Universities Commission (for Universities) and National
Board for Technical Education (for Polytechnics and Monotechnics). It shall also grant
practice licence to qualified Food Scientists and Technologists and approve the
business locations for their practice.

FUNCTIONS OF NiCFoST

a. Determine the standards of knowledge, exposure to equipment, practice, and

skills to be attained by persons seeking to become members of the profession of
Food Science and Technology and to be so registered.
b. Promote the highest standards of competence, practice and conduct among the
members of the food profession.
c. Establish and maintain a register of persons entitled to practice the Food
profession, register premises used for that purpose and publish list of persons and
premises so registered.
d. Determine the minimum scale of fees for members of the Food profession.
e. Coordinate, regulate, facilitate, and promote the development of the profession in
Nigeria.
f. Collaborate with relevant national and international, governmental and non-
governmental agencies

g. Be responsible for the discipline, promotion and the determination of the terms
and conditions of service of the employees
h. Perform other functions as are necessary for attaining the objectives of this Act.

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Code of Ethics
1.1 This code of ethics for professional conduct is for the purpose of achieving the self-
regulating functions as provided by the Nigerian Council of Food Science and
Technology Establishment Act, 2019. It clearly states the principles by
which members of the Food Science and Technology profession interact with
the general public, clients, other professionals and forge synergy with fellow
professionals.
1.2 Any act of a professional which is confirmed to be an act of misconduct and a breach
of the profession's code of ethics and its guiding principles of professional practice,
would be expected to be grounds basis for consequent disciplinary action.
1.3 The Nigerian Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST) in fulfillment of its
mandate presents this Code of Ethics as an effective guide to all Food
Scientists and Technologists in the discharge of their professional and
associated moral obligations. They are expected to live up to the standards of
conduct appropriate to their calling and shall endeavour to maintain such high
standards at all times.
1.4 The Code applies to all registered Food Scientists and Technologists holding
licences, certificates, or permits under the Nigerian Council of Food Science and
Technology (Establishment) Act, 2019 and any other relevant legislation regulating
the handling of food and its associated matters in Nigeria.

Section I
2.0 Obligations to the Food Consumer and the Client
(a) A Food Scientist and Technologist should hold the health, safety and wellbeing of
food product consumers and users of food materials with utmost importance and
should provide consumers with sufficient relevant information on the food
products and materials.
(b) A Food Scientist and Technologist should not be associated with the
manufacture and supply to consumer(s) or client(s), any food which may be
detrimental to health, especially when there is reason to believe that the food
product or material may cause harm.
(c) A Food Scientist and Technologist should never permit, or assist in, the
manufacture, importation, promotion, distribution, storage, sale or dispensing of
food products and materials of good quality, or which do not meet the standards
specified by law.
(d) A Food Scientist and Technologist should respect the confidentiality and private
nature of information on recipes, processing methods, technologies and sensitive
manufacturing records which come to him/her in the course of his/her duties and
should never disclose information to potential rivals or competitors or to anyone
without proper authorization.
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 (e) A Food Scientist and Technologist shall provide professional advice at
appropriate opportunity that may arise in the course of his/her duties to ensure
that clients and consumers receive adequate information about the safety and
function of their materials, additives, operations, systems and food products as
well as their effective use.
(f) A Food Scientist and Technologist must respect the client’s autonomy, dignity,
cultural differences and their right to make informed decisions/inputs relating to
their operations/products/services.
(g) A Food Scientist and Technologist shall ensure fair and uninterrupted essential food
supply as a priority in the event of natural disaster, famine, civil unrest, labour
dispute conflicts of different nature including with personal moral beliefs.

Section II
3.0 The Food Science and Technology Profession
(a) In every food related organization involved in food post-harvest activities, there
should be a Lead Food Scientist and Technologist in personal control of all food
scientific matters in the organization. He/she shall be primarily responsible for
the setting and observance of proper standards of professional conduct in regard
to the operations of the organization. He/she must approve all value addition
activities with food science and technology implications including all operational
activities and all changes, innovations, new technologies in handling, storage,
preservation, processing, bulk & retail packaging/labelling, formulation, quality
assurance, consumer perception tests and food safety management of the food
products.
(b) The layout of business premises and environmental conditions that prevail
should be such as to preclude the risk of adversely affecting the safety and overall
quality of the food products and materials and risk of damaging the integrity of
the packaging.
(d) He/she must act with honesty and exhibit integrity that wins the confidence of
customers and clients. He/she must have due regards for the standards of
behavior acceptable within the profession, and members of other professions and
the society.
(e) A Food Scientist and Technologist shall collaborate with other professionals and
regulatory authorities to ensure that the best possible quality of food products is
obtainable and at reasonable cost to consumers.
(f) A Food Scientist and Technologist should ensure that members of the support
staff to whom tasks are delegated are appropriately trained and have the necessary
skills in food and related matters for the efficient and effective discharge of such
tasks.
(g) A Food Scientist and Technologist should ensure that issues of environmental
protection are adequately taken into consideration in the discharge of his/her
duties.
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 (h) A Food Scientist and Technologist should as much as possible provide up-to-date
knowledge-based information when it is essential to the community or in the
course of providing his/her services or refer appropriately to a more credible
source.
(i) A Food Scientist and Technologist should treat all who seek their services with
courtesy and respect.
Section III
4.0 Food Scientists and Technologists as Employees
(a) A Food Scientist and Technologist should seek, at all times, only fair and
reasonable remuneration for his services. He/she should never engage in
fraudulent activities and practices.
(b) A Food Scientist and Technologist should endeavour to promote ethical practices
and should not accept to practice under objectionable terms or conditions which
are dubious in nature and tend to negatively influence the proper exercise of
professional judgement and skill, or which tend to damage the quality of service,
or which move him/her to yield to unethical and inappropriate practices. He
should not allow himself to be compelled otherwise by any person(s) in matters
related to his/her rightful professional judgement.

(c) A Food Scientist and Technologist should provide efficient Food Science and
Technology services in the organization in which he/she carries out his
professional practice. If the maintenance of appropriate food related standards
fails due to obstruction from his/her employer, he should report to the Nigerian
Council of Food Science and Technology (NiCFoST).
(d) A Food Scientist and Technologist should, at all times, be ready to assist other Food
Scientists and Technologists to ensure efficient service delivery. He/she should
not condemn or bring professional colleagues to bad light or cause them to be in
disrepute in order to gain advantage over other colleagues(s).
(e) A Food Scientist and Technologist is expected to prevent any act of misconduct
by professional colleagues and the action of all others that could jeopardize the
safety of a food product or infringe on declared and expected quality attributes
of a food product potentially causing harm or economic loss to the consumer(s).
(f) A Lead Food Scientist and Technologist should not offer his/her licence to
register a food related organization where he will not be present to practice.
He/she is expected to notify NiCFoST before leaving the organization.

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Section IV
5.0 General
(a) A Food Scientist and Technologist should not be involved in the advertisement,
display of food products or related materials which mislead the public or bear
false claims whether in the food business premises of his practice, or in the press,
or elsewhere.
(b) A Food Scientist and Technologist should not operate a food vending service in
an undignified style nor operate in a manner that ridicules the profession. He/she
has the duty to observe the law, to uphold the dignity and honor of the profession,
and to practice its ethical principles. He should not engage in any activity that will
bring discredit to the profession and should expose, without fear or favor, any illegal
or unethical conduct that may negatively impact the profession.

(c) A Food Scientist and Technologist should actively associate with any group or
organization whose objective(s) will enhance the profession of Food Science and
Technology.
(d) Food Scientists and Technologists shall always endeavour to:
i) Maintain the highest level of professional and ethical standards.
ii) Hold the interest and wellbeing of consumers of food products and related
materials in high regards.
iii) Respect the ethical relationships held between farmers, food service workers,
food vendors/marketers and consumers in such a manner as to foster
cordial relationships at all times.
iv) Respect the value of colleagues and other food industry team members.
v) Seek justice, equity and quality in the distribution of food resources.
vi) Develop and implement policies to manage risks associated with food safety
and food security.
vii) Document their work to enable the assessment of its quality from time to time.
viii) Conduct regular self-audits to improve professional attitude to work.

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A. Food Scientists and Technologists in Academia and Research
Food Scientists and Technologists in academia and research, above all must,
a. Remain honest and transparent in all areas of professional practice.
b. Adhere to all rules and policies enacted in the clinical learning environment.
c. Avoid falsifying or tampering with data.
d. Avoid knowingly submitting a paper containing the research of others without
providing appropriate acknowledgments.
e. Always put the sensitive nature of food into consideration and endeavour to make
painstaking efforts to transfer knowledge to students while maintaining high
standards of learning.
f. Engage in proper professional, ethical, and academic conduct at all times and not
exploit their students in exchange for academic favor, and
g. Engage in relevant research to improve: variety of food products, processing
efficacy, functional quality, safety, affordability either alone or in collaboration
with other team players.

B. Food Scientists and Technologists in Industry

Food Scientists and Technologists in industry must always strive to:
a. Promote the image of the profession in a loyal manner and not in a manner
which subordinates the profession to other professions.
b. Avoid taking financial or material gratification to influence their professional
judgement in the selection of raw materials.
c. Ensure that essential information of food is appropriately and consistently
communicated to end users in accordance with regulatory requirements.
d. Use available opportunity to promote the contributions of the profession in
making high value food products available to the society.
e. Avoid committing any breach of professional ethics and prevent others whenever
possible from improper acts aimed at boosting product sales.

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