The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned packaged water producers to desist from violating the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and other safety standards which puts the health of consumers at risk.
Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General, NAFDAC, informed that the agency has shut down 27 packaged water industries over non-compliance to regulation and standards between January and August 2021. She warned that NAFDAC will monitor and sanction any factory that fails to comply.
The DG said this at the National Convention of the Association for Table Water Producers (ATWAP) in Abuja with the theme: “Developing a packaged water industry as a catalyst to economic growth and a greener economy in Nigeria”.
Adeyeye, who was represented by the Director, Public Affairs, NAFDAC, Jimoh Abubakar, observed that some water factories are operating with an expired license, producing in a pest-infested environment, non-functional UV water/air steriliser, production activity in the absence of production manager, and manual filling of bottle/jar.
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Others are alteration of production flow (both line and facility), non-batch coding of water product, algae growth on treatment plant area, leakage on the pipelines, product label not legible, stacking of finished products on bare floor, having most of the substituted documents as fake among others.
Adeyeye further informed that NAFDAC has registered 2,153 new water factories in the country between January and August 2021, while urging them to comply with safety rules.
Clementina Ativie, National President ATWAP, acknowledged that the industry is challenged with quackery and illegal producers. She, however, regretted that the industry is a huge task due to a large number of producers involved, access to locations of some factories, relocation of registered address without recourse to notifying regulatory agencies for proper documentation and traceability, among others.
According to her, the industry employs close to 1.6 million people along the water production value chain, which includes distribution, retailing and waste management.
Ativie, however, urged ATWAP members nationwide to indulge in regular training on GMP for water quality and operational guidelines.
Speaking further, she said the industry is also challenged with high inflation which has pushed the cost of production to more than 500 percent, poor electricity supply, multiple taxation and overlapping functions by government agencies at all levels. This, she noted will force prices of packaged water to increase, unless the government intervenes.
“The nylon we use for the packaged water used to be N70,000 for one ton, but today it’s not less than N1.5 million so prices must increase if we must deliver quality products. We seize this opportunity to ask for special interventions from the government in form of special financing and equipment sourcing. Also, we solicit for tax waivers and other forms of encouragement that will allow us to continue serving Nigerians better.” She said.
