NAFDAC Seals Food Factory for Revalidating Expired Spices

pharmacy

For endangering public health through the revalidation of expired Curry and Thymes spices, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has shut down, Every Rose Limited, manufacturers of SomGeo brand of spices.

Officials of the agency who visited the factory unannounced, discovered large quantities of expired Curry and Thyme spices stored in the warehouse with packaging materials, labels as well as stamps that were being used to illegally revalidate the already expired spices, NAFDAC revealed.

This is coming barely eight weeks after NAFDAC shutdown six pharmaceutical companies for their failure to comply with Good Manufacturing Practice standard in the country. Although names of the concerned companies were not disclosed by the agency, but they have been placed under close surveillance by the regulatory body.

Speaking on the development, the Director General, NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye frown at the act saying the company will be heavily sanctioned for jeopardizing the health of Nigerians.

Prof. Adeyeye who spoke through a statement signed by Resident Media Consultant to NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, said immediately officials of the agency got tip-off of the development, they swooped on the main warehouse and factory of Every Rose Limited manufacturers of SomGeo brand of spices located at Petu Village, Cele 2, Bus Stop Off Ibeju-Lekki, and No. 23, Tunji Lekki,Bello Street, Penuncular Stream 2, Lekki, Lagos respectively.

She stated that the two locations visited were sealed and placed on hold, adding that the company staff found revalidating the aforementioned products at the factory have been apprehended and taken to NAFDAC Investigation & Enforcement office for further investigation.

While the business owner, a lady, (names withheld) was at large during the raid, Adeyeye revealed that different finished products and working tools were found.

Records available in NAFDAC show that the company located at 19, Adelajo Ojo Crescent, Magodo, Lagos, registered 16 different products for listing under the brand name SOMGEO and these include SOMGEO Ginger Powder, SOMGEO Garlic Powder, SOMGEO Thyme Leaves and SOMGEO Mixed Spices Powder amongst others. The registration however, expired on December 5, 2017.

Citing this case as an example to others in such illegal businesses, the NAFDAC boss warned that there is no more hiding place for unscrupulous manufacturers and marketers who have turned themselves to merchants of death with a view to making illicit money by sending unsuspecting Nigerian consumers to their early graves through production and sale of falsified and revalidated expired products.

She said the agency would stop at nothing to track down the illicit merchants wherever they are within the country.

‘’We are ready to eliminate the incidence of falsified products in our markets or bring it down to the minimum to safeguard the health of our people’’, she said.