The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control NAFDAC, has advised water producers, patent medicine dealers, and other manufacturers of regulated items against selling counterfeit or substandard products.
Mrs Roseline Ajayi, NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator, issued the warning at a stakeholder engagement meeting hosted by the agency in Ibadan on Friday.
Ajayi stated that the evidence acquired by the agency during its most recent investigation revealed that some patent medicine dealers were selling restricted pharmaceuticals and unregistered products.
According to her, several producers failed to meet the appropriate packing and storage criteria.
“Recently, we discovered that bread sold in marketplaces fails laboratory testing because makers utilize saccharine due to the high cost of sugar.
“They are introducing substances that are harmful to the health of customers. We are not unaware of the current economic circumstances, but the agency will not compromise its standards.
“It is pertinent to note that the quality and safety of regulated products cannot be compromised,” she told reporters.
Ajayi stated that the purpose of the engagement gathering was to elicit additional collaboration and support from relevant stakeholders so that the agency could fulfill its duty of protecting citizens’ health.
“In the last year, significant regulatory decisions have been taken. Some have been gazetted, with the intention of strengthening and sanitising regulatory practices.
“All stakeholders must embrace the culture and requirements for good practices related to each sector to guarantee quality, safety and wholesomeness of regulated products available to citizens,” she told the audience.
