NAFDAC Warns Supermarkets Against Banned Foreign Goods

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has warned supermarket operators in the country to adhere to the rule on foreign goods.

The Agency Acting Director-General, Mrs Yetunde Oni, at a stakeholders’ forum organised by the agency in Lagos, said it expects that foreign stocks on supermarkets’ shelves would have been exhausted before December 31.

Oni stressed that NAFDAC will not tolerate the violation, infraction or deviation from the approved guideline of the global listing scheme.

The global listing rule includes: that the importation of products banned by the government shall not be allowed; ‘mandatory’ fortified food shall not be allowed, that is salt, flour except they have been fortified to the levels prescribed in the food Grade (Table or Cooking); salt regulations and the Food Fortification with Vitamin A Regulations; supermarket operators can only retail the imported items once listed and distributed within their supermarket chain only, among others.

She noted that the need to accommodate the supermarket operators, fast food chains, hotels, embassies and international organisations that house peculiar and large number of products, led to the introduction of the global listing scheme in 2003.

The NAFDAC boss listed the items on the import prohibition list not be found in the supermarkets to include: live or dead birds including frozen poultry, pork, beef, birds, eggs, refined vegetable oil (except linseed, castor and olive oils), spaghetti or noodles, fruit juices in retail packs or waters, including mineral waters and aerated waters containing added sugar or sweetening matter or flavour, soaps and detergent and cane or beet sugar.

Oni implored supermarket operators to patronise made-in-Nigeria products as it will help create jobs and boost the economy in line with government’s change mantra.