… Defends NAFDAC, insists Coca Cola products safe for
consumption
The Federal Ministry of Health (FMH) has offered defense on
behalf of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
over the alleged poisonous Fanta and Sprite in the controversial difference environmental
setting of benzoic acid limit introduced in these soft drinks in Nigeria,
reports NaijaAgroNet.
The latest response arose from the recent court judgement on
the case filed by Fijabi Holdings and another versus Nigeria Bottling Company
and NAFDAC, in which NAFDAC was mandated to direcdt all NBC and other bottling
company to imprint a notice that taking the soft drink of Fanta and Sprite with
Vitamin C is poisonous.
Director, Media and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry
of Health, Mrs Akinola Boade, on behalf of the Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac
Adewole, after a joint meeting of NAFDAC, Standards Organisations of Nigeria
(SON) and NBC, attributed the difference in standards of these additives to environmental
conditions.
In a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet at the
weekend, the Ministry said due to the different environmental conditions
obtainable in the United Kingdom (UK) and Nigeria, the standard for benzoic
acid was set at a lower limit of 150 milegrame or kilogramme (mg/kg) for UK.
While in Nigeria, the Minister said, “it was set at 250mg/kg
even below than that of Codex.”
He explained that as at time of production of that batch of
drinks in question, Codex limit was 600mg/kg.
The minister pointed out that NAFDAC and SON regularly
monitor the manufacturing practices of food industries and conduct laboratory
analysis to ascertain continuous compliance with required national standards.
NaijaAgroNet was told that there was a routine inspection
conducted at Nigeria Bottling Company by NAFDAC officers, last December, 2016,
which was pronounced “satisfactory.”
Food products being imported into a country, the Ministry
explained, must comply with the relevant standards of the destination country.
“NAFDAC has processes in place to ensure products imported
into the country are evaluated to ascertain compliance with required Nigeria
industrial standards.
The claimant, FMH said, did not obtain NAFDAC certification
before export, otherwise, Fijabi would have been advised on the required
standard of the destination country.
The Ministry further declared Coca-Cola products
manufactured in Nigeria safe for consumption; “Yes, the Coca-Cola products
manufactured in Nigeria are safe for consumption.”
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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