Bakers who use potassium bromate as an enhancer are advised not to do so by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), who claim that it is harmful to human health.
This warning is coming after operatives of NAFDAC raided and arrested suspects in connection with various fraudulent activities arising from the sale and use of potassium bromate.
According to NAFDAC, it has intensified efforts to raid defaulters as part of its efforts to stop the threat of the importation, sales, and distribution of counterfeit/fake regulated products and ensure that only wholesome, safe, quality, and effective products are imported, manufactured, distributed, sold, and used by Nigerians.
At a media event in Lagos on Tuesday, Dr. Monica Eimunjeze, the acting director-general of NAFDAC, highlighted that potassium bromate is a prohibited flour improver and a proven carcinogen.
She claims that among other illnesses, potassium bromate has been discovered to cause kidney failure.
“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.
“Bakers use potassium bromate because it helps to improve the texture of bread as well as increases its volume and it is relatively cheap.
“NAFDAC wishes to state that there are recommended healthy flour improvers approved by the Agency.’’
She disclosed that reiterating its resolve to reprimand offenders, operatives of NAFDAC raided and arrested suspects in connection with various fraudulent activities.
“A warehouse containing potassium bromate tablets and unregistered imported EDC – 2000 BREAD IMPROVER was raided by NAFDAC operatives on Dec. 7, 2022.
“NAFDAC officers raided the warehouse located in Apongbon area of Lagos Island in Lagos where they found 115 cartons of potassium bromate tablets.
“The tablets have a street value of twenty eight million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N28,750,000:00).
“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.
“Also found in the warehouse were counterfeit EDC Bread Improver, packed in sachets with a fake NAFDAC registration number 01-4242, worth three hundred thousand naira (N300,000:00).
“One Rapoluchukwu Joseph was arrested as the importer during the operation.’’
She stated that potassium bromate, in addition to enhancing a loaf’s texture, also enhances its volume and is reasonably priced.
400 cartons of bogus Super Delicious cooking margarine with the fake NAFDAC registration number (a1-2508), the Manufactured date of 25/01/2022, the Expiry date of 25/01/2024, and various batch numbers were among the other forgeries, according to Ejimunjeze.
She added that the NAFDAC had started an inquiry on September 9, 2022, which had taken its agents to several states, including Kano, Kaduna, Delta, Abia, and Lagos States.
“After rigorous and painstaking efforts, the Agency’s operatives traced and arrested one Owerekwe Obinna Michael ‘male’ 46 years of 12 Boundry Street, Aba, Abia State as the importer of the counterfeit product.
“At the point of his arrest, the suspect upon sighting the operatives completely destroyed his mobile phone so that the evidence will not be traced to him. He also fought the operatives but was instantly overpowered, arrested and taken into custody.
“He confirmed that he actually imported four hundred (400) cartons of the product with the above details from Dubai through groupage and cleared at Onne Port, Port Harcourt.
“He claimed that the shipment was delivered to him by a clearing Agent, whose name he did not yet disclose He also admitted to distributing the product to markets across the country.
“Preliminary examination of the product showed that the actual manufacturer’s name was not written, but produced for a company in Indonesia.”
Nigerians were urged by Ejimunjeze to keep an eye out for these harmful items wherever they may be found and to report them, as well as any suspected fake, counterfeit, or unwholesome products, to the nearest NAFDAC office.
