The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned producers and sellers of locally made zobo and tigernut drinks that packaging and selling their products without registration could land them in trouble.
The agency insisted that all locally manufactured and packaged food and beverages must be registered with it before being introduced to the market.
NAFDAC said the requirement applies to all packaged products, regardless of the size of the business involved, stressing that samples must undergo laboratory tests and safety assessments to establish their suitability for human consumption.
The agency’s position was made known by its Resident Media and Communication Consultant, Sayo Akintola, in an interview with PUNCH, from where Orijoreporter picked up the report.
Akintola explained that NAFDAC must certify the safety of packaged food products before they are sold to consumers.
He warned that laboratory testing was necessary to ensure that products advertised as food were not potentially harmful to unsuspecting consumers.
He said the agency had a responsibility to safeguard public health through the regulation of food and other products.
Akintola further stressed that registration was compulsory for businesses involved in manufacturing, importing, distributing or selling products under NAFDAC’s regulatory jurisdiction.
He listed food, cosmetics, supplements, pharmaceutical products, packaged water and medical devices among the products requiring the agency’s approval before they could be legally marketed.
According to him, businesses that ignore the requirement risk having their products seized, production facilities shut down and operators prosecuted under federal law.
He also described the NAFDAC registration number as an important mark of credibility that could boost consumer confidence and make it easier for businesses to attract distributors and retailers.
The clarification comes amid controversy over a viral video showing police officers questioning a woman selling bottled zobo drinks and demanding to see the products’ NAFDAC registration number and labels.
The video, which circulated on October 28, showed one of the officers insisting that the bottled drinks should carry a NAFDAC registration number.
“This thing is supposed to have a NAFDAC number. Does this thing have a NAFDAC number? As a police officer, don’t I have the right to ask?” the officer was heard saying.
The incident sparked public debate over whether small-scale producers of traditional Nigerian drinks must also obtain NAFDAC registration before selling their products.
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