The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned against the use of saccharine in bread, stating it is unapproved and against industrial standards.
The regulatory agency disclosed this in reaction to a report raising an alarm over the quality of bread sold in Nigeria.
“Any baker found using unapproved food additives, in this case, saccharine, will be appropriately sanctioned in line with the existing regulatory provisions. The Nigerian Industrial Standard (NIS) does not permit the use of saccharine in bread,” Mojisola Adeyeye, director-general of NAFDAC, said in a statement.
Read also: NAFDAC: What is wrong with our bread?
“This is the same for the Codex General Standard for Food Additives, an authoritative reference point for food additives, which also does not permit the use of saccharine in bread.”
Like other food additives, Adeyeye said sweeteners usually undergo rigorous risk assessments for safety by expert bodies, including the WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, before approval for use.
“NAFDAC wishes to reassure the public that the Agency remains fully alive to her responsibilities of safeguarding the health of the public,” she said.
