The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned bakeries across the country to refrain from using saccharin and bromate in bread production.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, emphasized that bakeries found using these harmful substances would face severe penalties.

“Our post-marketing surveillance plays a crucial role in this,” she explained. “We regularly inspect products, sometimes in response to complaints submitted to our reform office. We have shut down several bakeries caught using bromate in bread making.”

She added, “If we discover bromate in any bread or if a sample is reported, we will immediately close the bakery. We have also closed several water-producing factories for substandard practices or poor hygiene.”

Prof. Adeyeye highlighted the importance of NAFDAC’s Regulatory Inspection Directorate, which ensures that the products registered with the agency remain consistent with what is available in the market.

“During the initial inspection, we test samples, but sometimes after registration, production processes or formulas may change,” she said. “This is why post-marketing surveillance is vital to ensure that what was registered is still in the market and meets the required standards. This is what we call market control.”