Don’t Compromise Bread Quality Over Rising Cost Of Ingredients, NAFDAC Warns Bakers

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has warned bakers and owners of confectioneries in the country not to compromise the safety and quality of bread as a result of the massive increase in the cost of ingredients used for their production.

Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye who spoke during a stakeholders meeting with the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter at the weekend, vowed to enforce good hygiene practices in bread production inorder to ensure food safety in the country.

Expressing readiness of the agency to partner the bakers’ special task force to rid the industry of unwholesome practices, she urged both bread and other confectionery producers to always imbibe the culture of Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) to ensure safety of bread and other allied products they produce for public consumption.

Represented by the Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FSAN), Mrs Eva Edwards, she noted that the Agency was sensitive to the increasing costs of ingredients in the production of bread, but that this should not be an excuse to undermine the safety and quality of the products thereby endangering the lives of consumers in the process.

She said: “You should have full confidence that you can give your family members to eat from what you have produced for the Nigerian consumers. In this case you would not want to produce what will make you or your family members sick if eaten.

“Avoid using expired raw materials and contaminated packaging materials and embrace a food safety culture in your activities. Good hygiene practices must be strictly adhered to from the beginning to the end of the production process, the finished products should not be exposed to the ravaging onslaught of rats and other pests in the Lagos metropolis.

“Food raw materials/ingredients that are not properly sealed, compromised packaging, infested by rodents or their droppings and not adequately labelled should not be used. Storage and handling of food ingredients/raw materials should be such that mix-up and cross contamination are avoided.

“Detergents, disinfectants, engine oil/lubricants should be kept away from food raw materials. If the bakers operations will endanger the health of the public, then the Agency will not hesitate to take decisive action.

“Production facilities should not be sited in locations that can compromise the safety and quality of the finished products, such as near a cemetery or directly opposite a toilet or soakaway. There is no way the Agency would stand aloof while the health of the public is being put at a risk.

“GHP in food facilities cover all stages of the process, starting from the planning stage for the location of the factory. Food facility should not be located in an area that is close to source(s) of contamination or prone to flooding. The material of the equipment should be impervious and not erode or react with the food during processing. They should be properly installed and arranged to enable easy cleaning of the immediate surrounding and allow for free movement of personnel.”

The NAFDAC boss also maintained that vehicles used for transportation of chemicals, or any hazardous materials should not be used to transport bread, adding that the finished products should be adequately covered and protected from contamination while in transit.

According to her, medical tests should be conducted periodically to ensure personnel do not harbor any diseases that could be transmitted through food, stressing that food handlers were also not expected to work with open wounds; and when ill, they should be excused from work.

Acting Chairman of the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Mr Matthew Ayoola, pledged his members commitment to further enhance the quality of their products in the State.

He however, disclosed that his Association had set up a task force with a view to bringing forward any recalcitrant members to NAFDAC for necessary guidance towards compliance with the regulations, and sanctions as deemed necessary by the Agency.