By Victor Nwachukwu
Owerri: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), has arrested one person allegedly involved in illegal water production and sealed the factory.
NAFDAC’s Chief Laboratory Technologist, Mr. Usman Ameh, led a team of NAFDAC officials from the Agency’s Investigation and Enforcement department, Apapa, Lagos, to seal the factory, located in Owerri West Council Area of Imo on Friday.
Ameh said that investigations revealed that the factory was packaging water directly from boreholes without any form of treatment for public consumption, hence constituting water poisoning and contravening various production laws.
“We carried out the operations after receiving credible intelligence that the factory was producing water that is not potable and could constitute poison.
“A team of NAFDAC officials from the state came here and instructed the authorities of this factory to put every production process on hold, but they still continued their illegal activities,“ he said.
The team lead called on other sachet water producers engaging in illegal packing under unhygienic conditions to put a stop to such unwholesome practice or be ready to go to jail.
He said that NAFDAC would not relent in its mandate of safeguarding the health of the nation and ensuring that only registered wholesome water and other regulated products were produced and sold to the public.
He also appealed to members of the public to always avail NAFDAC of information regarding illegal production as well as producers of regulated products.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sealed factory, Aranatha Table Water, was instructed to stay out of production until it could meet the requirements to resume production.
The factory operates with NAFDAC Registration number: B 1-08941L, and is situated at Ndubuisi Adioha drive, Owerri West LGA of Imo. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)/Flowerbudnews
