Leadership (Abuja)
Dauda Mbaya
9 November 2009
Maiduguri — The Director General of the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr. Paul Orhii has directed all flour millers across the country to ensure proper fortification of their products with vitamins to enable the master bakers produce bread without additional improvers.
The direcor general who, was represented by the Borno State Director, Alhaji Adamu Sambo, disclosed this at the 19 Northern States conference of Master Bakers Association held at the Musa Usman Secretariat, Maiduguri. Dr. Orhii said that for effective monitoring and supervision the agency, in July 2007, embarked on immediate and mandatory registration of breads meant for public consumption. He added that even though the agency does not want to kill home cottage bakeries by over regulation, the agency was worried by continued use of dangerous and harmfull chemicals in baking bread.
The NAFDAC boss further stated that some members of the association were still using potassium bromate, emulsifiers, alums, hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives and other dangerous and harmful chemicals in baking bread. In his contribution, the national chairman of the 19 Northern States Master Bakers, Alhaji Suleoman Bakari, said most members of the association are complying with directives of NAFDAC on non-usage of potassium bromate, adding that any member who violates the law will be punished.
Alhaji Bakari noted that the association had set up a task force to monitor the activities of bakeries all over the 19 northern states, and that any bakery caught using such dangerous chemicals will be closed. The chairman appealed to governmts at all levels to come to the aid of the association by providing them with soft loans and the enabling environment to enable them produce hygienic breads fit for human consumption.
He said the association was ready to work with government regulatory agencies including NAFDAC, ministry of health, ministry of commerce and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON).
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
