NAFDAC speaks on banning bread

National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dissociated itself from a comment asking Nigerians to avoid eating bread made and sold in the country.

The agency made the clarification in reaction to what it said was a misconception that trailed the statement made by NAFDAC South-west Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi, recently, saying bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests because producers are using addictives as saccharine due to the high cost of sugar.

Following her comments in a viral video a reporter had suggested that Nigerians were told to avoid consuming bread.

Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the content of the video does not reflect the observation of the official but the personal opinion of the reporter.

“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.

NAFDAC 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.