NAFDAC Warns Nigerians: 4 Things to Check Before Buying Any Packaged Food
- NAFDAC food safety expert Abubakar Umar urged Nigerians to read food labels before buying any packaged food product
- The advice came in the first episode of NAFDAC's #NAFDACExplains series posted on the agency's official X account on Tuesday
- NAFDAC identified four specific items consumers should look for on every packaged food label before making a purchase
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged Nigerians to make food safety a priority by carefully reading labels on packaged foods before making a purchase.
The agency said taking just a few seconds to examine key information on food packaging can help consumers avoid expired products, make healthier dietary choices, and protect themselves and their families from potential health risks.
Source: Getty Images
The advice was shared in the debut episode of NAFDAC's #NAFDACExplains educational series published on the agency's official X account.
Packaged foods include everyday items such as bread, biscuits, bottled drinks, instant noodles, canned foods, sachet milk, cereals, and other products sealed before being sold.
Look beyond the brand and price
Speaking in the video, a food safety expert at NAFDAC's Food Safety and Applied Nutrition Directorate, Abubakar Umar, said many consumers focus only on a product's brand, appearance, or price while overlooking the most important source of information, the food label.
According to him, food labels provide vital details that enable consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
"When you buy packaged food, what usually catches your attention first? Is it the brand? The picture on the packaging? Or perhaps the price? For many of us, that's where we stop. But there's something even more important, and that is the food label," Umar said.
The four things NAFDAC says you must check
NAFDAC highlighted four critical details every shopper should verify before buying any packaged food.
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1. Check the expiry or date marking
Consumers should first confirm the manufacturing and expiry dates to ensure the product is still within its shelf life.
Buying expired or out-of-date food products could pose health risks and compromise food quality.
2. Read the ingredient list
The agency advised buyers to carefully review the list of ingredients, especially those with food allergies or special dietary needs.
Knowing exactly what a product contains helps consumers avoid ingredients they cannot tolerate and choose foods that suit their health requirements.
3. Review the nutrition information
NAFDAC also encouraged Nigerians to examine the nutrition facts panel, which provides details about sugar, salt, fat, protein and other nutrients.
The agency said understanding this information can help people make healthier food choices and better manage their diets.
4. Confirm the NAFDAC registration number
Another important check is the NAFDAC registration number, which indicates that the product has passed through the agency's registration process before being approved for sale in Nigeria.
Consumers are encouraged to avoid products that do not carry a valid NAFDAC registration number.
A few seconds can protect your health
Reinforcing the message, NAFDAC said spending a few moments reading food labels can go a long way in helping consumers make safer and healthier decisions.
Source: Getty Images
The agency summed up its advice with a simple reminder:
"Before you buy it, read it. Before you eat it, understand it."
With millions of Nigerians purchasing packaged foods daily, the regulator says adopting this simple habit could reduce health risks, improve nutrition awareness, and help families make smarter food choices every time they shop.
NAFDAC begins nationwide seizure of sachet alcohol
Legit.ng earlier reported that the NAFDAC has launched a coordinated nationwide operation to remove alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethene terephthalate (PET) bottles smaller than 200 millilitres from the Nigerian market.
The exercise, running concurrently across all six geopolitical zones, follows earlier moves by the agency to shut down production facilities found to be in breach of the existing federal ban on such products.
NAFDAC said its officers have been deployed to markets, motor parks, retail shops, bars and other distribution points, with instructions to identify, confiscate and destroy any prohibited alcoholic drinks found on the premises, Leadership reports.
Source: Legit.ng
