NAFDAC confiscates contraband in Kano #nigeria

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) has sealed off seven shops and
confiscated contraband food products worth millions of
Naira in Kano.
The NAFDAC Assistant Director (Enforcement), Mr Shaba
Mohammed, disclosed this in Kano on Thursday in an
interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that six of the affected shops were located at
the popular Singer Market, while the other shop was
situated at Galadima area in Sabon Gari.
He explained that the operation was conducted on Tuesday
to measure the level of compliance to regulation,
particularly on food products.
The items of interest in the operation are mainly sugar,
flour, vegetable oil and macaroni or spaghetti which is
contraband.
In fact, we don't want to see any imported macaroni in
Nigerian markets because they are contraband products,"
he said.
He expressed regret that the environment where the seized
palm oil was being repackaged at one of the affected shops
was completely unhygienic.
Mohammed said that this was unacceptable to the agency.
The environment where these things were being done is
very dirty and unhygienic that is why we sealed off the
place.
The vehicles being used to bring the palm oil are tankers for
petroleum products and this is also unacceptable," he said.
He explained that some of the seized items would have to
undergo test at the laboratory to ascertain the level of their
quality before taking any further action on them.
Mohammed said the country had factories that had the
capacity to meet the local demands of macaroni, hence the
decision to ban its importation into the country.
He said that the agency would continue to carry out similar
operations across the country so as to safeguard the public
health.
The mission and vision of the agency are to safeguard the
public health," Mohammed said.
NAN reports that the operation, which was conducted under
tight security, was led by the assistant director of the
agency who came from Lagos. (NAN)