By Abubakar Yunusa
The Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit, FOU, Zone A on Thursday said some imported rice were unhealthy for human consumption.
The Acting Controller of the Unit, Hussein Ejibunu, said during a media conference in Lagos, that this was discovered after a laboratory test was conducted by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, on some seized rice.
“Pursuant to the Federal Government’s policy that encourages local production of rice against the importation of foreign parboiled rice, this Unit had seized 7,259 of 50 kg bags of rice, an equivalent of over twelve (12) truck loads.
“Sequel to a laboratory test analysis on some previously seized foreign parboiled rice by NAFDAC, one of the test parameters indicated some contents of lead (a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element) in the tested rice.
“This is making the rice unfit for human consumption,” he said.
Mr Ejibunu said consequently, upon the laboratory analysis, as a responsible government agency, “we are letting Nigerians know that apart from the negative economic impact of importing foreign rice, some of these rice are unhealthy for human consumption.”
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