The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has stated that tomato pastes containing sugar as a preservative are safe for human consumption.
It made this clarification in the light of the ongoing squabble between Erisco Foods Limited, maker of Nagiko tomato mix, and one Chioma Egodi, a consumer who allegedly gave a “damaging” review of the tomato paste.
Lafiya360 reports that sometimes in mid September, in a Facebook post, Egodi stated that the said tomato paste by Erisco Foods tastes sugary.
The manufacturer, however, described such claims by the said customer as untrue and unfounded.
It stressed that the said post was done with the motive to mislead consumers and tarnish the image of the tomato paste. It added that the post must have been instigated by some elements and syndicates who are uncomfortable with our increasing market dominance as a leading indigenous manufacturer of 100 per cent natural tomato pastes.
Erisco Foods Ltd then filed a complaint about the post, which later led to the arrest of Egodi.
Via its Twitter page, NAFDAC affirmed that Nagiko Tomato Mix by Erisco Foods Limited is duly registered with it, with registration number: A8-7430.
📢 Update on the Registration Status of Nagiko Tomato Mix.
The product in question – Nagiko Tomato Mix by Erisco Foods Limited with NAFDAC Registration Number A8-7430 is a registered product. pic.twitter.com/LBQgdTUWLT
— NAFDAC NIGERIA (@NafdacAgency) September 29, 2023
It said, “The product in question – Nagiko Tomato Mix by Erisco Foods Limited with NAFDAC Registration Number A8-7430 is a registered product.
“The product is not yet on our database due to a significant backlog. We are actively updating the Registered Products Database and addressing the backlog.
“The formulation of tomato paste and ketchup products with sugar is safe for consumption.
“Sugar is added to these products for a number of reasons, including but not limited to masking bitterness, enhancing colour and flavour, improving texture and taste consistency, and as a preservative.
“The safety limits of sugar in food products are determined by NAFDAC, and only sugar-containing products within these safety limits are approved by NAFDAC.”