By Francesca Hangeior.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has closed down a bakery for using unfortified sugar and banned bromate in Sokoto State.
The NAFDAC State Coordinator, Mr. Garba Adamu told newsmen on Friday, that the bakery was detected during a special raid by the agency’s officials.
“We discovered that the bakery was using saccharine, an unregistered foreign sugar as a sweetener along with banned bromate in their productions.
“The items were seized for destruction and the bakery is shut down until it complies with regulations and directives,” he said.
Adamu emphasised that only fortified registered sugar containing Vitamin A with micronutrients and other vitamins are allowed to be sold and consumed in Nigeria.
”This is a Federal Government policy enforced by NAFDAC and other government agencies to ensure that consumers get the maximum nutritional and other health benefits from the products.
”Six other bakeries were also sanctioned for poor hygiene as enforcement officers led by Mr Buhari Manzo scaled up the routine inspection visits to bakeries across the state.
“Bakeries are monitored to ensure that they don’t use saccharine or other banned items as a substitute for fortified regulated ingredients,” Adamu said.
The state coordinator also cautioned producers against using adulterated, counterfeit, unregistered and expired items in their places, reiterating that NAFDAC would continue the enforcement regularly.
Adamu said the operation would be extended to Local Government Areas as part of the agency’s efforts to ensure that hygienic foods are sold.
He called on the public to be wary of patronising unregistered products and always report any suspicious practices and contaminations to NAFDAC.