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Killer baby food floods markets
Killer baby food floods markets —NAFDAC
raises alarm
NATIONAL
Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) yesterday alerted
the public to a fake, killer SMA infant baby formula in the market, saying the
product is stuffed with cassava flour.
Already, a suspect, Mr. Sixtus
Agbaegbon, has been dragged before a Federal High Court, Abuja charged with
being in possession of dangerous products that could kill children and for
illegal manufacture and faking of SMA baby milk.
Speaking at a training programme
for NAFDAC Monitoring Officers on Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (BMS) in
Abuja, the Director General of the agency, Dr (Mrs) Dora Akunyili, said the
infant formula did not comply with international safety standards.
Akunyili said due to
non-adherence to the international marketing standards, Nigerian babies were
exposed to avoidable health hazards.
Stressing that NAFDAC was worried
that child killer ailments like low intelligent quotient (IQ), infant mortality,
physical disabilities, low vision as well as other sickness have been traced to
non-compliance with international safety codes in the production and marketing
of baby food items.
At the court in Abuja yesterday
the prosecutor Mr Kingsley Ejiofor, of the office of the Attorney-General of the
Federation, said the offence contravenued section 1(9) of the Counterfeit and
Fake Drugs and unwholesome Processed Foods (Miscellaneous) Act Cap C 34 CFN,
2002 and punishable under section 3 (1) (9) of same Act.
Also, Mr. Agbaegbu was alleged to
have contavened section 8 of the Marketing (Breast Milk Substitutes) Act Cap M5
LFN, 2002, punishable under section 11 of the same Act.
Mr Ejiofor told Justice Awuli
Chikere that the accused could not physically appear in court to answer to the
charges because he was sick.
The counsel had allegedly
confessed to the crime which has the consequences leading to vomiting, diarrhoea,
stomach pain, fever and death if consumed by children.
The arraignment followed an
apology demanded from the Anambra State Pure Water Manufacturers Association.
According to Mrs Akunyili, while briefing newsmen in Abuja, the association had
lied to the public that the agency had increased the registration fee for pure
water manufacturing license fees.
Pointing out that at no point did
NAFDAC do such a thing, she said the fees paid for product registration were
fixed since 2002 adding that "we do not have any intention to increase the
fees."
She stated that rather than
"singly increase the price of pure water, they (seller) should not hide
under an alibi that NAFDAC increased its registration fees whereas we did not do
so."
Mrs Akunyili noted that the
agency would be forced to mobilise against them, stressing that "what they
did was very wrong."
She said even though pure water manufactures
receive much returns on their investment, "they should be satisfied with
what they make rather than compound the masses hardship, especially by telling
lies with NAFDAC name."
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