In a bid to ensure safety, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has warned importers, manufacturers, distributors and other operators in the bakery and confectionery business against compromising food safety, using unsafe substitutes and misleading consumers as rising production costs put pressure on their businesses.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, gave the warning on Tuesday at a stakeholder engagement with bakery and confectionery operators organised by the South-West Zonal Office of the commission at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, according to a statement obtained by The PUNCH.
Bello, who was represented at the event by the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Dr Olubunmi Otti, explained that the engagement focused on strengthening compliance with consumer protection, product safety, quality and labelling requirements across the sector.
Bello emphasised that bread and other baked products were consumed daily by millions of Nigerians, “making food safety and consumer confidence critical responsibilities for operators.”
“Consumers ordinarily had no way of knowing where ingredients came from, how they were stored or the conditions under which products were manufactured. They rely on producers to maintain proper hygiene, use appropriate ingredients, accurately represent their products and supply the quantity promised,” Bello said.
