The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned against purchasing products that have been removed from their primary packaging.

Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General, gave the warning during a news briefing on Friday in Lagos, adding that infants and children were the targets and ultimate victims.

According to her, the agency is conducting raid operations with success recorded in the area of forfeiture of unwholesome processed cereals, beverages, and dairy products.

“In the nationwide raid which commenced in July 2021, seven trucks conveying 4,578 cartons of various unlabelled, transparent nylon packed cereals worth over 60 million naira were confiscated by the agency.

“The sources of these various falsely packed cereals and dairy products cannot be verified and, therefore, NAFDAC cannot guarantee the safety of the products for consumption.

“During one of our operations, a suspect declared that the CocoPops, CornFlakes and Oats being displayed for sale in transparent nylons were sourced from LAWMA waste disposal trucks before repackaging into transparent nylons,” she said.

Ms Adeyeye disclosed that the agency had commenced raids of markets and supermarkets with the aim of mopping up unregistered NAFDAC products.

She said this was in response to credible intelligence indicating that importers were smuggling into the country unregistered regulated products ahead of the festive period.

Ms Adeyeye disclosed that the agency had observed that some fake and counterfeit products were brought into the country through a system known as “Groupage”, a system where more than two persons load containers with different items from the country of origin.

She said this system aids and abets counterfeiting, adding that contraband and unregistered regulated products are concealed and brought into the country through this arrangement.

(NAN)