*Nutrition and public health experts opine counterfeit products that frequently contain 鈥榰ndeclared ingredients鈥� but are intended to enhance their effects and attract repeat customers can harm pregnant women and fetuses, warning Nigerian consumers to be cautious as no one knows the compositions of such unregulated products in marketplaces

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

Against the backdrop of the increasing proliferation of substandard and counterfeit products in marketplaces in Nigeria, experts and stakeholders have shed light of possible health implications of Nigerians鈥� consuming such adulterated products.

绿帽献妻 reports there are cases of manufacturers cum producers engaging in food processing and packaging without a verifiable NAFDAC Registration Numbers (NRN), violated the extant law in the country.

On the dangers of fake and adulterated products, Ulu Ogbonnanya, a professor of Community Medicine and Public Health at the Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria, expressed concerns about the growing number of platforms for purchasing products.

Prof. Ogbonnanya highlighted the risk of buying and consuming unregistered, unreliable products, which can pose serious health hazards to the people.

The scholar also opined that dealers in such fake and substandard products usually prioritise profit over consumer safety, as they more driven by the lucrative nature of the illegal trade in the country, The Punch report said.

鈥楿ndeclared ingredients鈥� in products harm pregnant women, fetuses: 聽Ogbonnanya

As regards the far-reaching implications of consuming counterfeit products, Prof. Ogbonnanya as well explained that such adulterated products frequently contain 鈥渦ndeclared ingredients鈥� intended to enhance their effects and attract repeat customers can harm pregnant women and fetuses and warned consumers to be cautious as no one knows the compositions of those unregulated products.

鈥淗owever, some of them may contain certain additives that may be unsafe, banned, or inadequately evaluated for human use.

鈥淭hese products might also contain medicinal ingredients that can be harmful if used without medical supervision,鈥� said the professor of Community Medicine and Public Health.

Ogbonnanya stated: 鈥淩ather than addressing medical conditions, these products may exacerbate the issues, leading to serious adverse effects, and in some cases, even resulting in death.

鈥淢oreover, products from such sources are often produced under poor and unhygienic conditions, further increasing the risk to consumers.鈥�

According to him, due to the lack of quality control, these products often contain 鈥渧arying or incorrect amounts of ingredients鈥�, which can lead to serious overdosing or poisoning.

The expert urged the urgent need for the NAFDAC to cover up these gaps that have become a source of potential public health concern.

NAFDAC insists packaged foods must be registered

Reacting to the preponderance of adulterated, unregistered food items in the markets in recent times, Sayo Akintayo, Resident Media Consultant at NAFDAC, affirmed that it is standard procedure for every sealed or processed food to go through regulatory verification.

Akintayo reportedly said the producers engaging in food processing and packaging without a verifiable NRN have violated the law, and would be prosecuted if caught.

鈥淓dible or packaged food in Nigeria has to go through NAFDAC鈥檚 registration processes. 鈥淲e do this to ensure the safety of what you want to produce and give people to eat,鈥� stated he.

The Resident Media Consultant of NAFDAC also noted: 鈥淪o, it is illegal, and if you see anybody that indulges in such, just let us know, where they are and where to find them. I said this because we also appeal to the masses to furnish us with vital information on these practices in the country.

鈥淥nce we have such information, we will send it to our intelligence unit, and they will carry out their investigation and apprehend whoever is doing that. You cannot produce any packaged food or food item in Nigeria without NAFDAC.鈥�

Akintayo disclosed that the health regulatory agency regularly conducted periodic raids in open markets and supermarkets and confiscated unregistered products to curb the illegal operations in the Nigerian economy.

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