The formulation of tomato paste and ketchup products with sugar is safe for consumption- NAFDAC
NAFDAC has confirmed that sugar can be added to pastes and canned foods pending the safety limits of Sugar in food products to be determined by the agency.
Here is the Update on the Registration Status of Nagiko Tomato Mix following the controversy that led to the arrest of a female consumer of Nagiko tomato paste.
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.
This is against this backdrop of misinformation posted on Facebook by one of its consumers as copied below:
I DON’T LIKE THIS TOMATO PASTE HERE! I don’t know what they mixed inside.
I remember using this tomato paste, and it ruined my stew so badly I had to wash off the proteins and pour the stew in the bin.
This brand of tomato paste is the reason I stopped using tomato paste, especially made in Naija tomato pastes.
If I must, I’d still prefer Gino and Derica.
May we not poison ourselves. Amen!
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
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