NAFDAC raises alarm over quality of packaged water

THE National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC,
has expressed concern that over 95 percent of packaged water producers in the
country lacked mini water laboratories to check the quality of their products.
This was made known yesterday by NAFDAC’s Principal Consultant and Head of
Emani Global Network, Mr. Emmanuel Osiegbu, at the flag off of the agency’s
Annual Water Monitoring Exercise, held in Makurdi, Benue state capital.
Osiegbu said, “it was for this reason that the NAFDAC has taken it upon itself to
embark on a routine on the spot laboratory analysis and evaluation of the
quality of water being packaged for sale across the country to ensure
compliance with the World Health Organization, WHO, safety standards.
“Hence with our mobile testing kits, we are subjecting packaged water in all the
factories visited to 22 parameters testing in order to ensure that they meet the
internationally acceptable requirements in safe water production.”
He said the essence of the exercise was not to sanction producers but to open
channels of collaboration between the agency and water producers to stem
cases of water borne diseases in the country.
Speaking, the Benue state Coordinator of NAFDAC, Mr. Anikoh Ibrahim, said the
agency would continue to partner producers of consumables in the country in
order to safegaurad the health of Nigerians.
Ibrahim cautioned that the agency would not hesitate to clampdown on any
packaged water producer who willingly and deliberately endangers the lives of
Nigerians with their products.