TheCable

The National Agency for Food And Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two water packaging factories in the Ota area of Ogun state.

Speaking with NAN on Thursday, Philip Benu, NAFDAC state coordinator, said the two companies failed to meet registration requirements.

Benu said the raid and enforcement followed routine inspections by regulatory officers in the Ogun 2 office, Ota.

He said facilities of the two companies were earlier in the year placed on hold with NAFDAC seal when they were found operating without approval.

He added that workers at the companies were also invited to the office for scrutiny.

Benu said at the time of the first inspection, there was nobody on the ground to warrant immediate arrest for questioning.

He said despite the letters of invitation dropped for the two companies, they remained adamant and went ahead to remove seals placed at the entrances of their facilities.

The NAFDAC state coordinator said the two companies resumed production of unregistered water brands, with fake NAFDAC registration numbers, while operating in an unhygienic environment.

“For anyone to produce any registered packaged product, you must have a building or adapted one which must meet the minimum requirements of NAFDAC,” he said.

“In addition, for you to get the NAFDAC number, we need to visit your site and ensure that the facilities are okay.

“It is after your product has passed through our laboratory test that NAFDAC would approve a number for you.

“We also need to monitor such producers on a routine basis to ensure that they are doing the right thing.”

Benu said what some persons were doing was to get any place, buy machines without NAFDAC approval, and commence production.

He said the enforcement would be a continuous one and that illegal producers should desist from such acts.

He added that anyone caught packaging water without due process would face the full wrath of the law.