The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has clarified the recent public concerns arising from the voluntary global recall in over 50 countries by Nestlé UK of its SMA Infant Formula due to the potential presence of cereulide, a toxin, in the batches concerned.
This was contained in a statement by the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye. It reads: “Agency wishes to reassure the public, healthcare professionals, relevant stakeholders, particularly parents, guardians and caregivers, that all Nestlé Infant Formulae currently approved for marketing in Nigeria are safe for consumption and are not part of the recall.
“The recall in the affected countries is due to the potential presence of cereulide in the UK batches, a toxin which can trigger nausea and vomiting when consumed.
Cereulide is an extremely heat-resistant toxin produced by certain strains of the bacterium Bacillus cereus.
NAFDAC confirms that the SMA range sold in Nigeria is manufactured at Nestlé Tuas Factory, Singapore, and is duly registered with NAFDAC as follows.
“NAFDAC has verified and reiterates that the SMA and NAN range of infant formulae produced for the Nigerian market are not part of the affected batches involved in the voluntary and precautionary recall in other countries.
“This alert has been issued as a precautionary measure in the interest of public health, consistent with NAFDAC’s statutory responsibility to keep Nigerians duly informed of emerging global food safety concerns, even in circumstances where the likelihood of local exposure remains minimal. The Agency continues to exercise utmost vigilance, recognising that the risks associated with unauthorised importation, online transactions, or personal carriage of such products during international travel cannot be entirely excluded,” the statement added.
