Health Implications Of Saccharine In Nigeria Baked Bread
The director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Mojisola Adeyeye, has refuted claims that she advised Nigerians to avoid bread baked and sold in the country due to the presence of the banned sweetener saccharine. In a statement yesterday, Dr Adeyeye confirmed that saccharine is indeed banned in bread production in Nigeria, in line with global health guidelines due to its potential health risks to consumers, but NAFDAC never issued any statement suggesting that Nigerian bread is unsafe for consumption. A supposed social media influencer had claimed that NAFDAC advised Nigerians to avoid locally baked bread because samples had failed laboratory tests due to the presence of saccharine, after Nigerian bakesturned to the banned sweetener as a substitute for sugar, which has become expensive due to inflation. She emphasized that NAFDAC, as a vigilant regulator, has been actively sanctioning bakers who violate this regulation while emphasizing that the social media influencer does not represent or speak on behalf of NAFDAC.
