“Any food packaged traditionally is not under the control of NAFDAC. We are only concerned with processed foods” — NAFDAC DG, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified that it does not regulate farm producelike oranges, apples, yams and others.

In a chat with Channels TV this morning, September 9, the DG of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye,  explained that naturally grown food items are under the control of the Ministry of Agriculture and not NAFDAC as many believe.

“In terms of sister agencies, the civil service is amazing; people like to work in silos. ‘This is my turf, don’t go there.’ No, we are supposed to work corporately.

For example, the National Food and Safety Policy said that produce from the farm is not under the control of NAFDAC. NAFDAC is in control of semi-processed products.

So, in the social media thing that we responded to, they said apples, NAFDAC; oranges, NAFDAC. No, that is under the Ministry of Agriculture, but we are supposed to work together because it is that produce that can be processed, which is under our control.

So, when you take your oranges in the morning, you take your apple, that is not NAFDAC, but everything is about NAFDAC — yam is NAFDAC; fufu is NAFDAC. No! ” Adeyeye said

She clarified that traditionally packaged food products such as yam, fufu, moi moi and ogi are not under its regulatory control.

The NAFDAC DG’s comment came days after former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recalled in a viral video that a lab test showed the fresh juice his wife squeezed was unsafe to drink.

While speaking at the Open Day for Gardeners’ seminar themed “Leaving The Earth Better Than We Found It,” he said that his wife started having strange headaches after drinking her fresh juice every day.

There have been widespread concerns over the use of dangerous chemicals in the production and preservation of food items, including fruit, fufu, and beans.

Watch the NAFDAC DG speaking below