3 months ago
6 ARTICLE AD
Breadmakers, under the umbrella of the Premium Breadmakers Association of Nigeria, have denied using substandard or unwholesome ingredients.
The rebuttal comes after a recent report on the use of saccharine in bread production.
In a statement, the PBAN said its members do not use substandard or unwholesome materials in their bakeries while reaffirming its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of food safety and quality in bread production.
PBAN President, Emmanuel Onuorah, said the association members strictly complied with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s regulations and guidelines.
“We ensure that every ingredient used in our baking processes is safe, wholesome, and meets the highest quality standards,” Onuorah said.
He condemned a claim that bread produced in Nigeria contained unwholesome ingredients and was unsafe for consumption.
The association disassociated itself from the claim in a viral video, which referenced a comment by the NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator, Roseline Ajayi, during a stakeholders’ meeting in Ibadan and submitted that it was misleading and damaging to breadmakers’ businesses.
“This ungodly video is in bad taste and has the potential to harm the businesses of our members, who work tirelessly to provide safe and nutritious bread for the public,” Onuorah stated.
He highlighted that PBAN had established internal controls to ensure that all aspects of bread production were in full compliance with existing laws governing food processing in Nigeria.
“We work closely with NAFDAC and other regulatory agencies to continuously improve our practices and ensure the safety of the public,” he added.
However, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Mojisola Adeyeye, had denied saying Nigerian bread was unsafe in a statement on August 27.
Adeyeye denounced the viral video, which featured a reporter claiming that NAFDAC said bread sold in Nigeria was failing laboratory tests because producers bake them using saccharine and not sugar.
NAFDAC said the claim was the reporter’s opinion and a misconstruing of the NAFDAC officer’s statement.
