Industrialist charges SON, NAFDAC on safety of imported food

A renowned industrialist, Chief Tunde Badmus, has charged the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to ensure that food items imported into the country are safe for consumption.

Badmus, who is the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland-Edo and Delta, said expired foreign chickens preserved with chemicals were finding their way into the country.

Speaking with Daily Trust in Osogbo, the industrialist urged SON and NAFDAC to ensure that local rice and other food items locally produced in the country also met their standards to discourage Nigerians from consuming foreign foods.

He said, “The foreign rice they are bringing to Nigeria is about three to four years old; whereas the rice is meant to be consumed within one year. They would withdraw it from the market once it is more than a year because they would not consume expired rice in their own countries.

“Same with chicken; the chicken they import to Nigeria is being preserved with formalin, which is injurious to the health of the citizens of this country.”

Badmus also urged relevant government agencies to ensure proper monitoring of the production and supply of locally produced food items to ensure that they were of the same quality as the imported foods so as to boost their acceptability in the markets.