The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has announced that it is looking into a widely shared social media post in which it is claimed that a woman used polythene-laced oil to fry plantain chips.
The resident media consultant at NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, in a statement on Saturday said that the organisation would first evaluate the claim using a scientific method before acting.
In spite of the alarming accusation, the agency reassured the public of its dedication to protecting public health.
According to the viral post, a woman allegedly melted about five pieces of “olonka rubber” (polythene) into oil before grating plantain to make chips.
The statement partly read, “The attention of the Management of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has been drawn to viral posts making the rounds on social media where an individual was reporting the alleged frying of plantain chips by a woman who “before she grated the plantain into the hot oil she melted about five of the white polythene what we call ‘olonka rubber’ into the oil.”
But NAFDAC noted that the post began circulating before the date the practice was supposedly observed, without indicating the geographical location.
“The agency is taking a science-based approach in her response to the alleged claim and will conduct necessary laboratory investigation into the claim. In the meantime, our advice to the public who consume NAFDAC regulated food products remains the same and centres around being vigilant as consumers,” the statement added.
It recommended Nigerians purchasing NAFDAC-regulated food goods to exercise caution.
The organization advised residents to only buy from trustworthy sources and look for NAFDAC registration numbers on product labels.
It also cautioned consumers to avoid products with suspicious packaging, an unpleasant odor or color, or impossibly low costs.
“We reassure the public that NAFDAC is proactive in safeguarding health. Thorough investigation of the disturbing claim will be done,” the statement read.
The agency promised to get to the roots of the allegation and take action based on scientific findings.
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency cautioned consumers of fried plantains popularly called “plantain chips” to be wary of any unwholesome practices in the processing of the plantains for sale.
