NAFDAC denies warning against consumption of Nigerian breads, speaks on saccharine use

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, “breads sold in the markets are failing laboratory tests” 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 official’s comment.

“The video does not reflect the observations of NAFDAC during the stakeholders’ engagement on 16 August 2024 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“We 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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“The claims made by the reporter are personal opinions and do not reflect NAFDAC’s stance,” Mrs Adeyee said.

‘Don’t use saccharine in bread’

She also noted that the Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) and the Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA) prohibit saccharine use in bread).

“Any baker found using unapproved additives like saccharine will be sanctioned according to the extant regulatory provisions.

“The agency emphasises that at no point did it advise Nigerians to avoid bread produced in the country,” Mrs Adeyeye added.