The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC) has denied declaring Nigerian bread unsafe for consumption.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Moji Adeyeye, said the agency did not raise concerns about the quality of bread produced in Nigeria as purported in a viral video.
In the referenced viral video, a reporter claimed that the agency said breads sold in Nigeria are failing laboratory tests because producers bake them using saccharine as an alternative to sugar.
However, the agency said this claim is a misrepresentation of a statement made by the official mentioned in the video.
At an event in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on 16 August, the NAFDAC South-west Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi, said, โbreads sold in the markets are failing laboratory testsโ due to the use of saccharine.
The official, however, did not specify if the issue was nationwide or limited to the South-west region.
Mrs Adeyeye, on Tuesday, debunked the slant given to the NAFDAC officialโs comment.
โThe video does not reflect the observations of NAFDAC during the stakeholdersโ engagement on 16 August 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
โWe strongly dissociate ourselves from the misleading statements in the video and reassure the public that NAFDAC remains committed to its role in safeguarding the health of the nation.
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โThe claims made by the reporter are personal opinions and do not reflect NAFDACโs stance,โ Mrs Adeyee said.
โDonโt use saccharine in breadโ
She also noted that the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) prohibit saccharine use in bread).
โAny baker found using unapproved additives like saccharine will be sanctioned according to the extant regulatory provisions.
โThe agency emphasises that at no point did it advise Nigerians to avoid bread produced in the country,โ Mrs Adeyeye added.
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