Lagos: The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and food safety experts have called for strict regulatory compliance in the bakery and confectionery sector to protect public health and curb illegal practices.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the call was made on Monday in Lagos during a stakeholder engagement themed ‘Building Consumer Trust Through Quality and Safety: A Regulatory Compliance Mandate for Industry Operators’. The Head of Quality Assurance at the FCCPC emphasized that every loaf sold represents an act of trust, asserting that economic pressures such as high energy and production costs do not justify the use of substandard ingredients, deceptive practices, or poor hygiene. He urged operators to enhance quality management, ensure truthful labeling, and comply with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
Dr. Grillo Adebayo from the Department of Food Science, University of Lagos, raised concerns over the illegal use of potassium bromate, a banned carcinogenic bread improver used to cheaply increase loaf volume. Adebayo revealed that a review of 47 Nigerian studies across the six geopolitical zones confirmed the presence of bromate in wheat flour and finished bread. He added that a specific study found bromate in 14 out of 36 tested bread samples, all of which were unregistered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Adebayo noted that some bakeries falsely label their products ‘bromate-free’ despite containing the chemical and highlighted the proliferation of unregistered, unlabelled artisanal bread as a complication for monitoring. He identified poor post-baking handling during cooling, slicing, and packaging as primary sources of microbial contamination, since baking heat eliminates initial pathogens. To mitigate biological, chemical, and physical hazards, Adebayo urged bakers to adopt Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) protocols, strict equipment disinfection, and proper waste management.
Mr. Peter Nwebonyi, Head of Legal at FCCPC South-West Zonal Office, warned that the commission would continue enforcing standards under its enabling act alongside regulations from NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). He stated that the commission is empowered to conduct unannounced factory inspections to catch defaulters and cautioned trade associations against anti-competitive practices, such as setting excessive entry fees or artificial barriers. Nwebonyi warned that the sensitisation exercise precedes full-scale regional market enforcement and potential factory shutdowns.
The event brought together representatives from NAFDAC, SON, the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, raw material suppliers, and industry operators.