he National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has insisted that all locally manufactured packaged food and beverages, including zobo and tigernut drinks, must be registered with the agency before they can be sold in Nigeria.
The agency said all packaged food products must undergo safety assessments and laboratory testing to verify their suitability for human consumption before being introduced to the market.
NAFDAC’s Resident Media and Communication Consultant, Sayo Akintola, explained that the registration requirement applies to all businesses, regardless of their size, involved in manufacturing, importing, distributing or selling products under the agency’s regulated categories.
He stressed that samples of packaged food products must undergo laboratory testing to ensure they are safe for consumption.
“Samples of your products must undergo NAFDAC laboratory testing to ensure that what you claim is food is not poison in disguise. It’s the responsibility of the Agency to safeguard the health of the Nation,” Akintola said.
He further warned that businesses selling regulated products without the required NAFDAC registration risk having their goods seized, production facilities shut down and facing prosecution under federal law.
The agency’s clarification follows a viral video showing police officers questioning a woman selling bottled zobo drinks and demanding to see the products’ NAFDAC registration number and labels.
NAFDAC maintained that obtaining its registration number is a mandatory requirement for packaged food products to be legally sold in Nigeria.
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