The director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof Mojisola Adeyeye, has reassured parents that all Nestlé infant formulae approved for sale in the country were safe for babies.
The reassurance from NAFDAC came amid concerns over product quality circulating online.
The agency boss spoke against the backdrop of recent public concerns arising from the voluntary global recall in over 50 countries by Nestlé UK of specific batches of its SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula.
According to her, the action in the affected countries was due to the potential presence of cereulide in the UK batches, a toxin, which can trigger nausea and vomiting when consumed.
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Cereulide is an extremely heat-resistant toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus.
The regulatory agency also confirmed that the SMA range sold in Nigeria was manufactured at Nestlé Tuas Factory, Singapore, and was duly registered with NAFDAC as follows: SMA GOLD 1, NAFDAC Reg. No.: B1-2783; SMA GOLD 2 NAFDAC Reg. No.: B1-2780, and SMA GOLD 3 NAFDAC Reg. No.: B1-2781.
Professor Adeyeye verified and reiterated that the SMA and NAN range of infant formulae produced for the Nigerian market were not part of the affected batches involved in the voluntary and precautionary recall in other countries.
"This alert has been issued as a precautionary measure in the interest of public health, consistent with NAFDAC's statutory responsibility to keep Nigerians duly informed of emerging global food safety concerns, even in circumstances where the likelihood of local exposure remains minimal," she stated.
The agency continued to exercise utmost vigilance, recognising that the risks associated with unauthorised importation, online transactions, or personal carriage of such products during international travel cannot be entirely excluded.
"We will continue to exercise strict regulatory oversight, including product registration, routine surveillance, and post-market monitoring, to ensure that all food products, especially infant nutrition products meet approved safety, quality, and labeling standards.
"NAFDAC remains fully committed to safeguarding the health of Nigerians, particularly infants and vulnerable populations. The Agency will not hesitate to take prompt regulatory action should any product be found to pose a risk to public health," she said.
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The Agency encouraged members of the public to remain vigilant and rely only on verified information from NAFDAC and other competent authorities. "Please discard the recalled products if found, and report any suspicion of their sale or distribution to the nearest NAFDAC office or call 0800-162-3322. Adverse events or side effects related to the consumption of the related products should be reported via NAFDAC's E-reporting platforms available on www.nafdac.gov.ng."
