Victor Ezeja
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has distanced itself from a claim that the agency advised Nigerians to avoid bread produced in the country.
Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency did not ban the consumption of bread produced in Nigeria due to the use of saccharine by some producers.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn a statement on Tuesday, the NAFDAC DG, described as false, statements made in a video that went viral which claimed that the agency raised concerns about safety of bread produced in the country.
She said the narrative in the video did not reflect the comment by NAFDAC South-west Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi, during a stakeholders’ engagement in Ibadan, Oyo State on 16 August 2024.
Ajayi reportedly said bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests because producers are using additives such as saccharine due to the high cost of sugar.
In a video made after the comments it was suggested that Nigerians were told to avoid consuming bread produced in the country.
However, the NAFDAC DG said what was said in the video does not reflect the stand of the agency.
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She said: “The video which suggests that NAFDAC advised Nigerians to avoid bread due to the use of saccharine by some producers, does not reflect the observations of NAFDAC during the stakeholders’ engagement on August 16, 2024, in Ibadan, Oyo State.
“At no time during that engagement with stakeholders did NAFDAC suggest that Nigerians should avoid bread baked and sold in Nigeria.
“NAFDAC dissociates herself from the comment of the reporter in the circulating video about avoiding bread in Nigeria.”
“This is the personal statement of the reporter who does not speak for the Agency,” she added.
Adeyeye explained that according to the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), the use of saccharine in bread is prohibited.
She therefore warned that any baker found to be using unapproved additives like saccharine will be sanctioned in line with regulatory provisions.
“The Agency emphasises that at no point did it advise Nigerians to avoid bread produced in the country,” she emphasised.
While insisting that the statements made in the said video were misleading, she reassured the public of NAFDAC’s commitment to its role in “safeguarding the health of the nation.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
