The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control outlawed bromate in Sokoto State and shut down a bakery for using unfortified sugar.
On Friday, July 13, 2024, the News Agency of Nigeria was informed by Mr. Garba Adamu, the NAFDAC State Coordinator, that the agency’s agents had discovered the bakery during a special raid.
“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 emphasized that in Nigeria, the only sugar that can be sold and consumed is fortified registered sugar that contains vitamin A along with micronutrients and other vitamins.
”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 reiterated that NAFDAC would regularly continue the enforcement while also advising producers not to use adulterated, counterfeit, unregistered, or expired items in their places.
According to Adamu, the operation will now include Local Government Areas in its endeavors to guarantee the sale of hygienic foods.
He urged people to report any suspicious activity or contaminations to NAFDAC and to be cautious when purchasing unregistered goods.
