The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has reassured consumers of the safety of Indomie and other noodle brands, noting that investigations by the Agency have revealed that Indomie noodles implicated in the recalls in Malaysia and Taiwan are not traded in Nigeria.
Mojisola Adeyeye, director general of NAFDAC in a meeting with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria on Thursday said the agency began tripartite discussions with manufacturers and marketers following the recall news.
Regarding the test to ascertain that ethylene oxide is not present in local noodles, Adeyeye said “We needed a chemical standard. It’s all science. We have to use the international standard chemical agents and things like that”.
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She urged Nigerian manufacturers to strive to bring quality into their products as it offers opportunities to trade globally.
She said that other countries’ regulatory agencies had approached NAFDAC for inquiries about the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), asking for requirements to trade in Nigeria.
MAN has to take advantage of the opportunity to generate foreign exchange for the nation’s economy, she said.
“That’s why I urge MAN to take the bull by the horn with the Food, Beverage, and Tobacco sector and Chemical and Pharmaceutical sector to take the lead. We can do it. We can lead Africa in terms of trade. It may take some effort. But it’s achievable’’, she said, noting that about two weeks ago, the first pharmaceutical company to have a WHO-prequalified product in West Africa and Central Africa combined is SWIPHA Nigeria Limited.
‘’We are going to have many more of WHO Prequalified products in Nigeria” she pledged.
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