NAFDAC intercepts banned flour improver that can ‘produce 30 million loaves of bread’

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has intercepted 115 cartons of potassium bromate tablets that could have been used to produce 30 million loaves of bread.

In a statement on Monday, the agency said they found the tablets, reported to have a street value of N28,750,000, after raiding a warehouse in Apongbon area of Lagos on December 7.

According to the agency, potassium bromate is a banned flour improver that increases flour volume and is known to cause cancer and kidney failure.

The agency said counterfeit EDC bread improver, packed in sachets with fake NAFDAC registration number 01-4242 worth N300,000, were also found in the warehouse.

It added that one Rapoluchukwu Joseph was arrested during the operation.

“Potassium bromate popularly known as tablets in the black economy is always attractive to merchants of death who want to make outrageous profit at the expense of citizens’ wellbeing,” the statement reads.

“This is because apart from improving the texture of a loaf, it also increases its volume and it is relatively cheap.

“For example, the seized tablets could be used with three hundred thousand (300,000) bags of 50kg flour to produce about thirty (30) million family-sized loaves of bread.

“NAFDAC wishes to state that there are recommended healthy flour improvers approved by the Agency. Henceforth, any flour product containing potassium bromate will be confiscated and the producer will be made to face the wrath of the law.”

The agency also said it arrested one Owerekwe Obinna Michael of Aba, Abia, alleged to be an importer of a counterfeit product, “DELICIEUR cooking margarine”, with different batch numbers, as well as fake NAFDAC number A1 2508.

“At the point of arrest, he was found with over four hundred (400) cartons (400x60sachetsx250g) of the product with the above details. He claimed he imported the items from Dubai through groupage and cleared at Onne Port, Port Harcourt,” the statement reads.

“He admitted selling the products to different markets across the country.

“The estimated street value of the above mentioned products is eight million naira (N8,000,000). It is pertinent to note that the volume of the products imported is 250g by 24,000 units which could have reached over 24,000 homes had they not been intercepted.

“The public is hereby enjoined to watch out for these injurious products anywhere in the country and report same or any suspected fake/counterfeit as well as unwholesome products to the nearest NAFDAC office.”