The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has raised the alarm over the health implication of bread sold in Nigeria markets. This is even as the agency revealed that bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests.
According to NAFDAC, producers are now using saccharine in baking their bread due to the high cost of sugar.
The agency also warned water producers, patent medicine dealers and other manufacturers of regulated products against selling fake and substandard products.
This was contained in a statement by NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi. The coordinator gave the warning during a stakeholders’ engagement meeting organized by the agency, on Friday, in Ibadan.
Speaking at the event, Ajayi said that the reports gathered by the agency during its recent operation revealed that some patent medicine dealers were selling restricted drugs and unregistered products.
She said some manufacturers also failed to comply with the required packaging and storage standards.
“Recently, we observed that bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests. This is because producers are now using saccharine due to the high cost of sugar.
“They are introducing ingredients that are not good for the health of the consumers.
“We are not unmindful of the prevailing economic challenges, but the agency will not compromise its standards.
“It is pertinent to note that the quality and safety of regulated products cannot be compromised,” she said.
Ajayi, however, stated that the engagement meeting was to solicit more collaboration. And to seek support from the relevant stakeholders for the agency to fulfill its mandate of safeguarding the health of the citizens.
She said, “Within the last year, several regulatory decisions have been made.
“Some have been gazetted. These are meant to strengthen and sanitize the practices in the regulatory environment.
“All stakeholders must embrace the culture and requirements for good practices related to each sector. This is to guarantee quality, safety and wholesomeness of regulated products available to the citizens,” she said.
Also speaking, the Oyo State Director of Pharmaceutical Services, Moses Adewole, urged medicine sellers to restrict themselves to the scope of their expertise.
Adewole also warned the participants to avoid selling expired drugs. He added that selling such was equivalent to giving out poison to the citizens.
The Oyo State Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers, NAPMED, Oladimeji Shittu, urged NAFDAC to make the stakeholder’s engagement a routine programme. He said a prompt update of development in the sector will help the stakeholders.
source: Vanguard
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