Only Lab Test Can Confirm If Bread Preservative Is Faulty

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has urged the public not to jump to conclusions over a viral video showing a loaf of bread said to have stayed fresh for over two months, stressing that only a laboratory test can confirm if the bread is still good for consumption or not.

A trader posted a TikTok video about three days ago, questioning why her unsold bread stayed pristine for over eight weeks, sparking millions of views and worries about preservatives such as the banned potassium bromate.

She claimed that, after the post, a bread company sent a lawyer to her shop with a N50 million lawsuit for causing the company to lose sales, despite her not naming any brand or showing any logos.

In light of this, a resident media consultant for NAFDAC, Sayo Akintola, told LEADERSHIP Sunday that until the sample of the bread is examined in a proper laboratory, any claim about its safety or the preservatives used remains speculative.

“Until you subject the sample of the bread to a laboratory test that is when you can now make a categorical statement of the findings. Then we now know whether anything has gone amiss with the preservative. But I am not too sure of the kind of preservative that will sustain a loaf of bread for that long. We don’t know that kind of preservative. We know bread should not stay longer than a few days,” he said.

He explained that ordinary Nigerian consumers are used to the fact that bread is a perishable product best eaten fresh.

“We all buy and eat bread. If you keep bread for anything after two days, you won’t get the real taste of it again. Anything after three, four, or five days, we know is not good for human consumption.

“Bread is best eaten when it is fresh. You get the maximum enjoyment and value for your money. Sometimes you find mucus or slime around bread that has stayed long, and that is a terrible one,” he said.

Akintola, however, warned that putting claims on social media alone is not enough without proper reporting to the regulatory agency.

“The person that did the video, I’m sure she is educated. The NAFDAC director‑general, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has always advised members of the public to bring such incidents to the notice of the agency, and when we know, we can take action. If you see something, say something to the appropriate authority.

“We don’t even know the area where it happened, and how do we start looking for the bread that was preserved for two months? So, it is difficult to locate. Whoever put it there should bring it to NAFDAC’s notice. It is when we have the right information that is when we know what to do,” he said.

Akintola reiterated that no conclusive statement should be made against any baker, bakery, or manufacturer until tests are carried out.