The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has charged bakery owners in Edo State to always keep to laid down standards in their practice to avoid jeopardizing the health of bread consumers.
Addressing Master Bakers in Edo North Senatorial District during a stakeholders seminar in Auchi, the State Coordinator of the Agency, Mr. David West urged the bakers to maintain high level of personal hygiene adequate maintenance of equipment and factory building, good waste disposal and sanitation system.
West said that bread is astaple food consumed by all segments of the society.
“It is pertinent that NAFDAC continue to inform and educate bakers on good practices such as the use of permitted improvers preservatives and other activities, producing and distributing the product hygienically in a manner that enables it to be safe for consumers”, he said.
The State Coordinator also warned bakers against the use of potassium Bromate; abanned bread additive which decomposes vitamin in bread courses renal failure and hearing losses in humans and further studies have also revealed that potassium bromated is also caunogenic.
According to him, other banned additives include, Nitrogen Trichloride and Ammonium persulphate and stressed the need for the usage of NAFDAC approved bread enhancers additives which includes, Ascorbic Acid, cystein hydrochloride, Butylated Hydroxyonisole, Ascorbic palmitate and Ascorbic steaurate.
West also said that the Agency will continue to partner with them to help stop the use of potassium Bromate and other unpermitted flour/dough improver so as to eliminate or recue the occurrence of illness such as concer, bakers eizema, kidney failure and hearing losses.
He also urged those whose licenses have expired to renew them to avoid being sanctioned.