As parts of measures to protect public health and promote product quality, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria(SON) on Friday, destroyed 230 bags of expired sugar and other substandard consumables worth about N25 million in Kaduna.
It was gathered that the destroyed items included soft drinks, milk, tomato pastes, and insecticides, among others.
The Deputy Director, North-West Region of SON, Mr Adamu Ahmed, while speaking to newsmen at a designated destruction site out of the state’s metropolis, said the confiscated products failed to meet the organisation’s quality and safety standards.
“We are here today to destroy substandard products that did not comply with required standards.
“Their destruction is to ensure consumers do not unknowingly use items that could endanger their health,” Ahmed stated.
According to him, all the 230 bags of sugar had expired and failed laboratory conformity tests, making them unsafe for public consumption, just as he also added that the exercise was part of SON’s vision to safeguard the lives of Nigerians through standardisation and quality assurance, which remain central to the organisation’s mandate.
“This destruction sends a strong message to manufacturers, importers, and distributors that we will not compromise on quality.
“These substandard products pose clear danger to consumers,” he said.
Ahmed added that the confiscation and destruction followed SON’s rigorous conformity assessment process, which identified the products as health risks.
According to him, the agency’s enforcement efforts are aimed at building consumer confidence and ensuring that only quality products reach the Nigerian market.
Ahmed commended manufacturers and importers who comply with national standards while urging others to follow suit to support a safer marketplace.
He appreciated the collaboration of the Department of State Services, Nigerian Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency, Kaduna Environmental Protection Authority, and the Kaduna State Government.
“This destruction serves as a warning to those dealing in substandard goods. We will not relent in ensuring full compliance with quality specifications,” Ahmed said.
