The Bida Local Government Area of Niger State has shut down ice cream production facilities over alleged serious hygiene violations, including flies found in mixtures and the absence of required licences and NAFDAC registration numbers.
In a statement shared on Facebook on Thursday, the council’s Chief Press Secretary, Aliyu B. Umar, disclosed that environmental health officials discovered the violations during an inspection.
The facilities reportedly had no product labels, making it difficult to identify the ingredients or trace the source of the ice cream.
“During the operation, the inspection team discovered serious hygiene concerns, including flies in the mixture used for ice cream production. The products were also found to be without labels, making it difficult to identify their contents and trace their source.
“The substances used in production were subsequently subjected to laboratory analysis, which reportedly revealed a lack of nutritional value and the presence of substances considered dangerous to human health,” the statement read.
According to the council, production was stopped after the factory managers admitted they did not possess the necessary operating licences or NAFDAC registration numbers. Equipment and other materials used in production were also removed from the facilities.
The enforcement operation followed complaints from residents about an ice cream production site around the Federal Polytechnic Bida area.
“Numerous vendors reportedly gathered at the facility every morning to purchase the ice cream for distribution and sale across Bida, potentially exposing residents to health risks,” the statement added.
