Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Director General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, has cautioned Nigerians against buying bulk industrial food products like milk, cornflakes, beverages, among others because of the grave health risks they pose.
The NAFDAC boss gave the caution in an address at the South-South zonal NAFDAC Media Sensitisation Workshop on Dangers of Drug Hawking and Ripening of Fruits with Calcium Carbide held Thursday in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
“The public is advised not to buy dangerous non-retailed packed items from the market to prevent the risk of taking contaminated, substandard, expired and adulterated food or food fraud with grave health implications,” she said.
Professor Adeyeye who was represented by the Director, Chemical Evaluation and Research, Dr Leonard Onokporiola, explained that import permits were issued for bulk industrial food or food ingredients for end-users in the manufacturing industry, but regretted that instead of selling them to manufacturers to enhance and package them before selling to consumers, such products illegally find their way into the open market.
She regretted that final consumers who ignorantly patronise such products probably because they are cheap, expose themselves to grave health risks.
“These bulk items are openly displayed and measured to unassuming buyers with little or no care from contamination.
She however, noted that: “This market practice is currently being addressed by NAFDAC through monitoring of the utilisation rate and capacity of end-users to block the gas/leakage of the non-retailed packaged product from being sold in our markets.”
