The Director of Standardization and Quality at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, a general practitioner at the research and treatment center for sickle cell disease, and a consumer have all refuted this information.
A rumor circulating in Bangui and its surroundings claims that “frozen foods, particularly chicken, have caused diabetes in consumers.” Caution! These false and misleading claims aim to alarm consumers of these products.
Verification Summary:
The claim is that frozen foods cause diabetes in consumers. However, this assertion lacks any scientific basis.
Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.
What is the Reality?
Detailed Verification:
Gan-Sele Gbadin, Director of Standardization and Quality at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, refutes this information:
“Frozen foods do not cause diabetes; it is a disease, sometimes hereditary, due to increased sugar levels in the body. We control all imported products in the country, and this information is false.”
Jean Lozas Gbongare, a general practitioner and major at the research and treatment center for sickle cell disease at Bangui General Hospital, states: “Diabetes is a disease caused by sugar in the blood that the pancreas can no longer metabolize. It has nothing to do with frozen foods.”
Diabetes is influenced by genetic predisposition. Type 1 diabetes occurs due to an abnormal immune response. Type 2 diabetes is primarily linked to lifestyle factors: overweight, sedentary behavior, and high blood pressure.
The Central African Republic faces many challenges, including poverty and food insufficiency. Consequently, many products, including frozen foods from neighboring and other countries, are imported. The influx of these products into the markets fuels rumors about their effects on consumers. However, no confirmation has been provided by diabetes specialists.
By R. Théophile GBOMANDJI / AFC
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