The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
has warned dealers of Frozen Chicken and Fish not to distribute or sell unregistered packaged frozen food and banned meat and meat products.
The Agency gave the warning at a one-day sensitization programme organized for the Abuja Fish and Frozen Food Sellers Association, Kado Fish Market FCT.
The Director of NAFDAC FCT Office, Mr. Kenneth Azikiwe who represented the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Christianah Adeyeye, at the sensitization, stated that NAFDAC under the current patriotic and pragmatic Director-General remains resolute in its quest to stamp out illegal production, distribution and sale of unregistered packaged food, water and other regulated products across the country to guarantee safety and the health of all citizens especially at this festive period.
“This sensitization is aimed to ensure good storage and distribution practice within the market because food products when properly stored guarantee the quality of food processed with it, before consumption”.
“So, we are here in Kado Fish Market, the biggest fish market in the North-Central to ensure that frozen chicken products, frozen fish products and frozen meat products are well stored so that at the end of the day, we will be able to get quality and safe food for the consuming public of the FCT”, he said.
Mr. Azikiwe further urged members of the association to always insist on buying NAFDAC registered frozen products that are locally manufactured as the Agency will not spare anybody who violets the policy of the Federal Government which we are mandated to enforce. The Federal Government of Nigeria has long banned the importation of Frozen Chicken, Turkey and Cat-fish into the country.
The Chairman of the Association, Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed welcomed the Director and his team to the sensitization and assured the Agency that he will work with his members to ensure that all the policies that NAFDAC dished out today to regulate their businesses for the wellbeing of all Nigerians are strictly complied with by the members. He also pleaded with NAFDAC to enforce the implementation of all these policies which is expected to commence in two weeks’ time with a human face.
In another development, the Agency, through directive of the Director-General, carried out a sting operation on water factories within the FCT to ensure total compliance to Hygienic and Good Manufacturing Practice by the Sachet and Table Water Producers.
The leader of the team, Mrs. Ughanze Nonye, Deputy Director, FCT Food Inspection said some of the water factories visited in Gwarimpa area and Nyanya started their production and sale without NAFDAC Registration Number. “These facilities are producing without NAFDAC license and that is why we here to destroy all the illegal products to ensure consumers’ safety”.
The Director FCT Office, Mr Azikiwe collaborated with her statement that “the Director-General directed us to implement zero tolerance to all forms of counterfeiting, faking and illegal manufacturing. She has always made it clear in all her public engagements that she has zero tolerance to fake, substandard and unwholesome food and other regulated products.
“The water facility in Gwarimpa was discovered to be manufacturing products that are not registered. They are not in our records and they were producing under unhygienic condition.” “Like we have always said, we in FCT are not going to tolerate it. This is the beginning, there are other facilities we are going visit and make sure that those offending products are destroyed and those people involved must face the full wrath of the law”, he said.
Meanwhile, some of the water facilities visited in Nyanya were issued Compliance Directive to ensure the gaps observed by NAFDAC Inspectors are corrected before further production.
He also called on Nigerians to volunteer information whenever they suspect any illegal activities around them to help the Agency carryout its statutory mandate.
