The viral comment asking Nigerians to avoid eating bread made and sold in the country has been denied by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
The comment was that bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests because producers use additives as saccharines due to the high cost of sugar. But the agency responded by explaining what it said was a misconception that trailed the recent statement by NAFDAC South-west Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi.
A reporter had suggested that Nigerians were told to avoid consuming bread, following her comments in a viral video.
, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye while reacting in a statement on Tuesday, said the content of the video does not reflect the official’s observation but the reporter’s personal opinion.
“At no time during that engagement with stakeholders did NAFDAC suggest that Nigerians should avoid bread baked and sold in Nigeria,” the statement reads.
“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 said.
She reassured the public that the Agency remained fully alive to her responsibilities of safeguarding the health of the public.
“The Agency is a responsible regulator and does not make general statements capable of causing panic and fear in the population,” she said.
Meanwhile, NAFDAC has cautioned bakers in the country against using unapproved food additives.
“Any baker found to be using unapproved food additives, in this case, saccharine, is appropriately sanctioned in line with the extant regulatory provisions,” the NAFDAC boss said.
“The Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) does not permit the use of saccharine in bread. This is the same for the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), an authoritative reference point for food additives, which also does not permit the use of saccharine in bread.
“Like other food additives, sweeteners usually undergo thorough risk assessments for safety by an Expert Body, the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) before approval for use,” she said.
