The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration has begun investigations into the alleged importation of 'Indian garri' in the country, even as Nigerians have been cautioned against consumption of the product.
Isaac Adewole
While speaking on the development of the alleged importation of “Indian garri” in the country in a statement on his Twitter handle, entitled 'On imported garri, Pt 1 – NAFDAC', the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, said the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration (NAFDAC), has begun investigations into the imported product.
The minister said 26 of the 500mg packets of the product, were seized after regulatory officials visited the supermarket at Ikoyi on Monday, February 20, 2017.
Adewole Tweeted; "We knew we had work to do, and Monday 20th we did. Our actions and findings are outlined below:
"NAFDAC Officers visited the Supermarket in Ikoyi today. 26 packets of 500mg each of the products were seized for analysis.
"The product has no NAFDAC number. The product is said to be from Ghana but packaged in UK.
"The Management of the Supermarket have been invited for further discussion in our Lagos office."
The Acting Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs Yetunde Oni, who alerted Nigerians about the development, urged Nigerians to stay away from the product because its consumption portended health hazards, as the agency was yet to certify it fit for consumption.
Oni, who spoke in Ilorin at a one-day zonal campaign on current regulatory issues in the safe use of drugs, animal feeds, pesticides and chemicals, said preliminary investigation had revealed that the product was actually made in Ghana, and not India as some reports earlier claimed, adding that it was packaged in the UK.