Bread makers in Nigeria, have denied using substandard or fake ingredients in their production amidst allegations leveled against them by the NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator.
This is coming as a result of claims that bread makers in the country are making use of saccharine in their production.
In a statement issued to journalists on Friday, August 30, 2024, the President of the Bread Makers Association of Nigeria, Emmanuel Onuorah, said its members do not make use of substandard or fake products in their bakeries while reaffirming its commitment to maintaining quality and high standards to ensure food safety and proper hygiene in bread production.
The association distanced itself from the claim in a viral video, which referenced a comment by the NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan, adding that the statement is false and damaging to bread makers’ businesses across the country.
Onuorah, said the association members are strictly in compliance with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s regulations and guidelines.
The President said, “We ensure that every ingredient used in our baking processes is safe, wholesome, and meets the highest quality standards,”.
He further condemned a claim that bread produced in Nigeria contains substandard and unwholesome ingredients and which is unsafe for consumption.
“This ungodly video is in bad taste and has the potential to harm the businesses of our members, who work tirelessly to provide safe and nutritious bread for the public,” Onuorah stated.
He mentioned that BAN had established internal guidelines to ensure that all aspects of bread production were in full compliance with existing laws governing food processing in Nigeria.
“We work closely with NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies to continuously improve our practices and ensure the safety of the public,” he added.
However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, had denied saying bread made in Nigeria is unhealthy as coupled in a statement released on August 27.
Adeyeye denounced the viral video, which featured a media statement claiming that NAFDAC mentioned that breads sold in Nigeria fail during laboratory tests because producers are said to bake them using saccharine instead of sugar.
NAFDAC on its part, said the claim was the reporter’s opinion and a misrepresentation of the NAFDAC officer’s statement.
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