Posted by FLORENCE UDOH on
ALL the bakeries that were closed down last week for using potassium bromate to bake bread would remain closed for a month, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) chief regulatory officer, Establishment and Inspectorate Division, Lagos; Mrs. Abisola Adekoya has said.
ALL the bakeries that were closed down last week for using potassium bromate to bake bread would remain closed for a month, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) chief regulatory officer, Establishment and Inspectorate Division, Lagos; Mrs. Abisola Adekoya has said.
In an interview with Saturday Champion in Lagos, Mrs. Adekoya said the bakeries namely Trandos Special Bread bakery, Surefoot Bakery, Agege and 10 others would pay a fine of N50,000 and N100,000 depending on the size of the bakery. The NAFDAC boss who explained that potassium bromate in bread causes cancers especially abdominal cancer and liver cancer, said the stigma of closing down the bakeries was already a big punishment which is hoped will serve as a warning to others.
She added that "we have made the fine for these defaulting bakeries affordable because we do not want to close them down permanently since we know many staff working there are breadwinners in their different families.
"Our intention is to drive home the message that potassium bromate is very harmful and to encourage bakeries to use the correct bread approved enhancers, and we believe that their being out of business for a month will make them do the right thing."
However, she emphasised that the bakeries that failed to pay the fine within the one month will remain closed.
Mrs. Adekoya pleaded with all bakers to comply with the directive of the regulatory authorities so as not to continue to endanger the lives of Nigerians.
NAFDAC had last Friday closed down thirteen bakeries in Lagos State and six others in the South-East for using potassium bromate to bake bread.