The National Agency for Food Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has closed down a bakery for using unfortified sugar and banned bromate in Sokoto.

The NAFDAC coordinator in Sokoto, Garba Adamu, said on Friday that its officials detected the bakery during a special raid.

“We discovered that the bakery was using saccharine, an unregistered foreign sugar, as a sweetener along with banned bromate in their productions. The items were seized for destruction, and the bakery is shut down until it complies with regulations and directives,” Mr Adamu said.

Mr Adamu emphasised that only fortified registered sugar containing vitamin A with micronutrients and other vitamins can be sold and consumed in Nigeria.

“This is a federal government policy enforced by NAFDAC and other government agencies to ensure that consumers get the maximum nutritional and other health benefits from the produced products.

“Six other bakeries were also sanctioned for poor hygiene as enforcement officers led by Mr scale up the routine inspection visits to bakeries across the state,” Mr Adamu explained.

He added, “Bakeries are monitored to ensure that they don’t use saccharine or other banned items as a substitute to fortified regulated ingredients.”

The coordinator cautioned producers against using adulterated, counterfeit, unregistered and expired items in their places, reiterating that NAFDAC would continue the enforcement at all times.

Mr Adamu said the operation would be extended to local government areas as part of the agency’s efforts to ensure that hygienic food is being sold and that the right products are circulated.

He urged the public to be wary of patronizing unregistered products and always report any suspicious practices and contaminations to NAFDAC, reiterating the agency’s continued efforts to safeguard the nation’s health. 

(NAN)