The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has disclosed that bread sold in markets is failing laboratory tests because producers are using saccharine as a substitute for sugar due to its high cost.

NAFDAC warned water producers, patent medicine dealers and other manufacturers of regulated products against selling fake and substandard products.

Mrs Roseline Ajayi, NAFDAC Southwest Coordinator, gave the warning during a stakeholders engagement meeting organised by the agency, on Friday, in Ibadan.

Ajayi said that the report gathered by the agency during its recent operation revealed that some patent medicine dealers were selling restricted drugs and unregistered products.

She said some manufacturers also failed to comply with the required packaging and storage standards.

“Recently, we observed that bread sold in the markets is failing laboratory tests because producers are using saccharine due to the high cost of sugar.

“They are introducing ingredients that are not good for the health of the consumers.

“We are not unmindful of the prevailing economic challenges, but the agency will not compromise its standards.

“It is pertinent to note that the quality and safety of regulated products cannot be compromised,” she said.

Ajayi, however, said that the engagement meeting was to solicit more collaboration and support from the relevant stakeholders for the agency to fulfill its mandate of safeguarding the health of the citizens.

“Within the last year, several regulatory decisions have been made.

“Some have been gazetted; these are meant to strengthen and sanitise the practices in the regulatory environment.

“All stakeholders must embrace the culture and requirements for good practices related to each sector to guarantee quality, safety and wholesomeness of regulated products available to the citizens,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Moses Adewole, the Oyo State Director of Pharmaceutical Services, urged medicine sellers to restrict themselves to the scope of their expertise.

Adewole also warned the participants to avoid selling expired drugs, adding that selling such was equivalent to giving out poison to the citizens.

Commenting, Mr Oladimeji Shittu, Oyo State Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPMED), urged NAFDAC to make the stakeholder’s engagement a routine programme for a prompt update of development.

Participants were drawn from master bakers, chemical dealers, agro-input dealers, importers, supermarket operators, manufacturers and distributors of regulated products, among others.