NAFDAC must hear this!
•Two tin tomatoes with same registration number
By MATTHEW DIKE
Thursday, April
17, 2008
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•Tomato
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Lagos residents have raised an alarm over the presence of
two brands of tin tomato which have the same National Agency
for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) registration
number.
Daily Sun’s investigation revealed
that the 70grammes, 210grammes and larger size of both Toma
and Gino tin tomato pastes respectively have NAFDAC number
01-3581 inscribed on them.
One of the deputy directors of NAFDAC, at Oshodi office, who
pleaded for anonymity, described the situation as “abnormal.”
Daily Sun discovered that all these products were packaged
for Watanmal Group, China. It was gathered that some Ginos
are from Italy and bear the same NAFDAC number 01-3581, but
no manufactured and expiry dates on some.
Traders in Lagos are astonished that such popular products
have the same NAFDAC number.
Mama Shina, one of the traders at Oshodi Market, asked: “Whose
fault now? Is it the fault of we traders or NAFDAC? NAFDAC
cannot say they don’t know about this. They all use
the products.”
A source at the public relations office of NAFDAC at Oshodi,
Lagos, said the regulatory body would have by now waded into
the problem between the two importers of the brands of products,
adding that it could be connected with the registration. Another
source disclosed that one of the importers has written a petition
to NAFDAC.
The deputy director of NAFDAC, at the Victoria Island office,
said there were other issues the body was handlling. She alleged
that the products without NAFDAC number were fake brought
in from Cotonou by smugglers.
When probed further on which of the products with same number
is fake, the deputy director referred Daily Sun to NAFDAC
registration unit, Oshodi. NAFDAC officers at the Oshodi office,
where our reporter earlier visited, referred Daily Sun to
their Victoria Island office.
Meanwhile, there was a mild drama at NAFDAC office on Victoria
when Daily Sun visited. The deputy director had insisted that
the reporter produce the receipt with which he bought the
tin tomato even when she had been told that it was bought
from one of the hawkers at Oshodi market.
As if that was not enough, she insisted that the journalist
should put his findings in writing, in form of petition.
She said: “How do we know where you picked them from?
You should have come with the receipt.
“You don’t have to mention your name. D-G has
said we appreciate every bit of informaton. You can even bring
it to the office of the director. You don’t have to
go to the D-G. Just write it now.”
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