Emmanuel OchayiTo safeguard public health and ensure stringent adherence to food safety standards, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has rolled out measures targeting the infiltration of unbranded cereals and industrial-sized food items into open markets.
Expressing profound concerns over the potential health risks of unbranded milk and cereals sold in unhygienic conditions, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director General of NAFDAC, took center stage at a stakeholders’ end-of-year open dialogue.
She emphasized the imperative need to curb the prevalence of bulk food items in markets, which could stem from manufacturing plants or suppliers.
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“We are concerned that these items are sold in measures, and scoops in the open markets. So, we are looking at that process of issuing permits for bulk food raw materials very critically,” Adeyeye stated.
Implementing enhanced measures, Adeyeye unveiled plans to assess and scrutinize utilization records of companies seeking import permits for bulk food raw materials.
“We don’t want to just see your stock cards; we want to know what you imported in the previous year. We want to know what you used because there are some calculations that we need to make,” she asserted.
The primary objective behind these measures is to ensure transparency and discourage excessive import requests by companies. NAFDAC aims to prompt evidence of past utilization, aligning it with their import permit applications.
Adeyeye stressed the importance of preventing the diversion of these materials into open markets and reaffirmed NDAC’s commitment to maintaining food safety and hygiene standards.
Notably, the agency aims to discourage the unhygienic practice of measuring milk and cereals in cups and measures in the upcoming year.
Commending NAFDAC’s proactive stance, Mr. Fred Chiazor, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Association of Food, Beverage, and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), praised the agency’s collaborative approach with industry stakeholders.
He highlighted the potential for a symbiotic relationship, fostering growth within the food industry while ensuring consumer safety remains paramount.
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