More confusion as NAFDAC confirms contamination, says no plastic rice in Nigeria
Recipients’ of the suspected 25KG bag of ‘Best Tomato Rice’ earlier speculated by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) that it was plastic rice may start to think twice or become more confused as latest report on the same rice by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) show that it was not made of plastic.
NAFDAC in its report said “All laboratory tests showed that the rice was contaminated with micro organisms”.
The Acting Director General, NAFDAC, Yetunde Oni, said this at a news conference in conjunction with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in Abuja that the seized rice was unsatisfactory and therefore unwholesome for human consumption, stressing that the consignment would be destroyed upon handover by the NCS.
According to her the product branded ”Best Tomato”, was in 25kg bag, without NAFDAC number, batch number, date markings and details of the manufacturer.
She said that `floating’ was negative, sedimentation was positive, cooking was normal, odour was normal, colour was off-white and E-coli was within specification.
NAFDAC also noted that lead and cadmium were not detected, pre-ashing was normal, ash, moisture and mould were within specification but coli form was above maximum limits.
But in his remarks, the Comptroller-General, NCS, Col. Hameed Ali, said irrespective of the outcome of the laboratory analysis, customs would remain vigilant and alive to its responsibilities.
