The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has closed down a supermarket in Abuja for selling expired products labelled only in the Chinese language.

“NAFDAC has sealed off a Chinese supermarket in Wuse 2, Abuja, for selling expired products and items labelled entirely in Chinese without English translations, which violates NAFDAC regulations,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

It added, “The supermarket, located at Azba Mall on Durban Street, is owned by Chinese nationals who claimed they were in the process of obtaining NAFDAC approval and translating product labels.”

NAFDAC alleged that the expired products were discovered during the facility inspection, while over 90 per cent of the items on the facility’s shelves were labelled only in Chinese. 

The agency said it was investigating how the products entered the country unchecked and probing the supermarket’s warehouse to ensure public safety.

“We have invited the supermarket’s management for further investigation and reaffirm our commitment to protecting public health,” the agency stated.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC has notified the public that products sold with labels in foreign languages without English translations are illegal, as they violate labelling guidelines.