The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against buying unregistered packaged food products to avoid contracting diseases.
Mrs Rosline Ajayi, the NAFDAC Director in charge of South-West, gave the warning on the sideline at a sensitisation programme to mark the World Food Safety Day on Tuesday in Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that its theme was: “Saver Food Better Health”.
Ajayi said that the quality of any packaged product, not registered by NAFDAC, could not be guaranteed.
She called on consumers to always be critical about labelling information in packaged products, check NAFDAC registration and as well check the batch coding to ensure that the products are not expired.
The NAFDAC director said there was growing concern over food safety matters, adding that some non-communicable diseases were contracted as a result of what people are consuming.
“This is why there is need to sensitise and create awareness on food safety in order to keep people from illnesses.
“Consumers must also handle the food properly and ensure the food they buy in the markets are kept in clean surfaces and store at a right temperature in order to avoid food boil illnesses,” she said.
The director said that the agency would continue to play its parts and ensure that consumers were not deceived by manufacturers in making indiscriminate claims about their products. (NAN)