The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has criticized the obstruction of its officers from conducting regulatory spot checks on business premises.

Mr Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC’s South-East Zonal Director, warned that blocking access to personnel on inspection visits attracts severe penalties during a stakeholders’ meeting in Enugu on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Iluyomade outlined that the NAFDAC Act empowers officials to enter any presidential premises without a warrant to examine products. He added that income from sales of unregistered goods gets forfeited to the federal government.

“The law gives the provision that any proceeds made from the sale of unregistered products will be forfeited to the Federal Government,” Iluyomade asserted.

In her remarks, Principal Regulatory Officer Mrs Ogechi Ude said assessing product quality throughout shelf life is part of NAFDAC’s post-marketing surveillance duty. She advised dealers to only source registered items.

Also, Mrs Paschaline Ibiam, the Assistant Chief Regulatory Officer, who spoke on Good Manufacturing and Hygiene Practices, advised manufacturers to show consistency in output quality.

NAFDAC’s Regulatory Officer, Dr Cletus Harrison, disclosed that NAFDAC now conducts online product registration, advising stakeholders to provide personal emails for agency correspondence.

According to Mrs Ude, the agency utilizes cutting-edge technologies to eliminate substandard goods and falsified foods injurious to public health.

One stakeholder, Mr Emmanuel Eze, appealed for biannual forums to regularly engage the food and drug authority on compliance requirements.