The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tanker trucks in Apapa, Lagos, for allegedly transporting crude edible vegetable oil in a manner that poses serious public health risks.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NAFDAC revealed that the oil had been trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot.
The agency expressed grave concerns over the potential health risks associated with using petrol tankers for transporting edible oil, citing the danger of chemical contamination from the tankers’ previous use.
The seized tankers were escorted to a processing facility in Sango-Ota, where the crude soy oil was handed over to NAFDAC’s Southwest Zonal Office for further regulatory action.
In response to this incident, the Director-General of NAFDAC has established a committee to develop guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oil in Nigeria. This move is aimed at preventing future occurrences of such practices that could endanger public health.
NAFDAC also called on the public to report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products, reaffirming its commitment to strict enforcement and continuous surveillance to ensure the safety of all food products in the country.
The agency stated, “We are committed to strict enforcement and continuous surveillance to ensure the safety of all food products in the country.”