The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has shut down a bakery in Sokoto State for using unfortified sugar and banned bromate. This action came after a special raid by NAFDAC officials, as confirmed by the State Coordinator, Mr. Garba Adamu, on Friday, July 13, 2024.
During the raid, officials found that the bakery was using saccharine, an unregistered foreign sugar, as a sweetener along with bromate, which is banned in Nigeria.
“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,” said Mr. Adamu.
NAFDAC mandates that only fortified, registered sugar containing Vitamin A and other essential micronutrients are allowed in food production. This policy, enforced by NAFDAC and other government agencies, aims to ensure that consumers receive maximum nutritional benefits from their food products.
In addition to closing the Sokoto bakery, six other bakeries were sanctioned for poor hygiene practices. Enforcement officers, led by Mr. Buhari Manzo, have increased routine inspection visits to bakeries across the state to ensure compliance with health and safety regulations. “Bakeries are monitored to ensure that they don’t use saccharine or other banned items as a substitute for fortified regulated ingredients,” Mr. Adamu added.
Mr. Adamu also warned producers against using adulterated, counterfeit, unregistered, and expired items, stressing that NAFDAC would continue its enforcement activities regularly. The agency plans to extend these operations to Local Government Areas to ensure that hygienic foods are sold throughout the region.
