NAFDAC arrests two people and seizes unregistered food items in Kano.
Ten warehouses in the Sabon Gari market in Kano State were searched by the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who also arrested two people and seized unregistered food items.
This information was provided to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kaduna by Mr. Tamanuwa Andrew, Deputy Director, Investigation and Enforcement Directorate of NAFDAC, Kaduna office.
According to him, the raid on the warehouses at Unity Road and Sabon Gari Market was carried out in accordance with their duty to ensure a healthy country and their regulatory actions.
500 cartons of milk creamer, 3,655 cartons of lolly pop candies, 1,800 cartons of monosodium glutamate, 162 bags of star milk, and 300 cartons of chocolate, according to him, were among the food items seized.
He continued by saying that 219 bags of pre-plain green milk and 688 cartons of Afri Cafe were also taken.
Tamanuwa said that the Agency was unaware of the items’ mode of entry.
“Since all of the products are imported rather than produced locally in Nigeria, our investigations will make the origin and country of manufacture of each product clear.
To determine their quality and whether they are suitable for food, “We will submit them to the laboratory,” he said.
The Deputy Director further mentioned that some dietary items can contain carcinogenic chemicals.
He clarified that they targeted the warehouses where NAFDAC-regulated goods are kept rather than the open market because they wanted to seize a sizable amount of merchandise.
Tamanuwa said that the Agency was unaware of the items’ mode of entry.
“Continuous removal of the products from circulation, which we are doing without ceasing, is one of the techniques to limit or minimize the threat of inferior, expired, and fake products.
“This will send a clear message to people that we will find those things wherever they are stored, not that we will be seizing them piecemeal.
We want to find out who is bringing such goods in such vast quantities, he said.
Owners of the warehouses have been invited, according to the Deputy Director, as investigations proceed to a natural conclusion where the law will decide how to treat them and those who were arrested.
He reaffirmed NAFDAC’s commitment to creating secure markets where customers may purchase appropriate, high-quality consumables and other goods.
