Tomato Pastes manufacturers in the country including Dangote Farms, Erisco Foods Limited and Savanna Farms Thursday told the House of Representatives Joint Committees on Health Care Services and Drugs and Narcotics that over 91.1 percent of tomato pastes in the country were fake and substandard. This is just as the House has condemned the alleged importation of dangerous killer tomato pastes imported into the country and promised to carry out investigations into the matter. Meanwhile, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has fined the Erisco Foods what it called administrative charge of N1 million for an alleged unauthorised advertisement of Erisco range of products without getting clearance and approval from the agency. The Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara in his address at the one day investigative public hearing stated that the House should not consider lightly allegations injurious to public health. The Speaker who was represented by the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor stated that the public hearing centred primarily on importation of fake substandard and cancer causing tomato paste into the country. He said what was “worrisome is the unpatriotic attitude of some companies and individuals importing fake, substandard and cancer causing tomato paste into the country at the expense of the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.”
Vanguard
