Inadequate food storage facilities

Foods may become spoilt as a result of lack of adequate storage, preservation or packaging. This leads to abnormal flavour, colour, odour, or consistency, although these may not necessarily be harmful. Inadequate food storage facilities in particular cause a great deal – in many areas upwards of 20% – of food produced to be lost due to rodents, other pests and general deterioration before it reaches the consumer. Better storage offers one of the quickest ways to increase food supply. At the national level, field experience indicates that much could be done to improve home and village level capacity for food storage and protection.