Disregard social media claims on Golden Penny Semolina -NAFDAC

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the general public to disregard the trending social media claims on Golden Penny semolina.

The Director General of the agency, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, made the call in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.

According to Adeyeye, NAFDAC attention has been drawn to a social media video showing a woman washing Golden Penny Semovita in a sieve using cold water.

She said that the claim of the woman that she got a plastic residue after sieving the content was a ‘total false’.

NAFDAC said that upon receiving the alert from various quarters in the community, the agency swift into action by conducting an emergency post-marketing analysis using different brand of semovita.

“The agency has investigated this claim by conducting appropriate analytical testing in her internationally accredited laboratories.

“The result showed that there was no plastic or any similar harmful contaminants in Golden Penny Semovita.

“It contained the expected components plus the required vitamin A. NAFDAC, therefore, wishes to inform the general public that the claim in the social media video is false and misleading.

“The alleged golden penny semovita is a brand of semolina, a very popular flour made from wheat and consumed in several parts of the world. Semolina contains mainly water, carbohydrates, protein and gluten.

“Gluten is made up of two classes of proteins -glutenin and gliadin, which upon addition of water combine to form gluten, a protein that gives nutritive value,” Adeyeye said.

The DG however, reassured the public that Golden Penny semovita and indeed all other semolina products registered by the agency are safe for human consumption following science-driven regulatory diligence.

She said that there was no cause for apprehension by consumers as such approved products are manufactured in line with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

Adeyeye said it was also in compliance with the Nigerian industrial Standards, which was continuously monitored by NAFDAC.

“ Members of the public are implored to exercise discretion in the use of social media to address any suspicion they may have on regulated products.

“The social media has the tendency to cause fear and panic; if suspicion is made on any product, NAFDAC should be contacted via its nearest offices nationwide,” she said.

The DG said that the public could also contact NAFDAC via its online channels at reforms@nafdac.gov.ng Or Call: 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322) for immediate response. (NAN)