Use Of Harmful additives: NAFDAC Warns Bakeries

Paul Orhii, the Director General, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control,NAFDAC, has warned bakers against using harmful chemicals as flour and bread improvers.

Giving the warning at a sensitisation and interactive workshop for stakeholders tagged: “Health and Safety in Bread and Bread products”, Orhii said some bakers were still using potassium bromate, nitrogen trichloride and ammonium persulphate in making bread despite the Agency’s efforts to curb the use of such chemicals.

He said it was imperative that bread was healthy and nutritious to its consumers.

Orhii said toxicological studies had shown that potassium bromate cause ailments such as cancer, kidney failure, deafness and redness of the eyes and skin.

“In summary, potassium bromate used as bread enhancer is capable of causing cancer, kidney failure and so on and also causes the breakdown of the essential vitamins in bread and bakery products,” he said.

Orhii said the Agency was determined to protect the health and safety of the general public by ensuring that flour was adequately fortified with vitamin A and called on bakers to adhere to good hygiene practice.

“NAFDAC has stiffened penalties and we are determined to prosecute defaulters to the full extent of the law,” he said.

Speaking at the forum, Mr Jacob Adejorin, the Lagos State Chairman, Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, said members of the association were no longer using the chemicals to produce bread and other products.

He blamed multinational bakeries for the use of such chemicals as they could not be inspected by the association’s officials.

Adejorin urged NAFDAC to ensure that private and multinational bakeries joined the association for effective regulation and inspection of their practices.

“We are urging NAFDAC to implore owners of the bakeries, that are not currently members of the association, to join, so as to ensure proper inspection of their bakeries and regulation of their practices”, he said