Skip to main content

Consumer council opens inquiry on Blue Band ‘spread for bread’ controversy

                      
The Consumer Protection Council said on Sunday it has opened inquiry into the controversy about the safety of Blue Band “Spread for Bread” when subjected to high temperature in boiling water.
The council said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES that it was aware of a short demonstration video circulating on social media about how the product by Unilever Nigeria PLC did not melt or dissolve under certain heat conditions.
The statement signed by the Director General of the Council, Babatunde Irukera, said the video has been a subject of anxiety and intense controversy as it suggested the product was unsafe for human consumption.
Mr Irukera said “available scientific information confirms that, though butter, margarine, and spread appear analogous, and share similar components, characteristics and uses, they are different products available to consumers.”
He said butter and margarine share a particular similar characteristic of low resistance to heat.
As such, the consumer protection agency said both products were likely to melt when subjected to certain levels of heat.
However, the agency said spreads have varying heat resistance, depending on intended use, and production process.
As a result, Mr Irukera explained, even where a spread did not melt under similar heat conditions as butter or margarine, it was not necessarily unsafe for human consumption.
“Spreads are produced in part by adding emulsifiers which are additives used in stabilizing and binding processed foods. They are not inherently unsafe or uncommon.
“The specific emulsifying agent and amount used, largely depends on many factors, including shelf life, storage, handling and climatic conditions in order to prevent microbial activity,” the CPC statement explained.
he council said Unilever already issued a statement to address public concern by differentiating Blue Band “Spread for Bread” product and explaining the purposes of the two different products.
Regardless, the council said it opened the inquiry to determine the product’s safety, and clarify some aspects of Unilever’s statements to the consuming public.
Mr Irukera said the inquiry was to ensure Unilever’s products, differentiated or otherwise, were safe and subjected to proper processes.
Besides, he said, the council wanted to ensure the “in-trade” handling was consistent with the different properties and characteristics of each product.
The council said it would continue to collaborate with the National Agency for Foods Administration & Control and Standard Organisation of Nigeria on applicable safety standards.
It, however, advised members of the public that consumption of butter, margarine or spreads generally are not unsafe.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kenyan student stabbed by her ex-boyfriend after she ended their relationship

                        Naomi Chepkemboi, a Third Year Public Health student at Pwani University, Kenya, was stabbed in the chest and neck by her ex-boyfriend Henry Kipkoech, who is a student at Kenyatta University, Nairobi. Ms Chepkemboi says she left her boyfriend in December last year because he was “irresponsible”. The two have a 4-month old daughter together. Speaking from her hospital bed in Kilifi County, Naomi Chepkemboi said Mr Kipkoech showed up at her rented room in Kilifi early Sunday, when he meted out the ugly attack on her. “He came to my room at 6am, and knocked on my door. I peeped through the window, and saw him. I went back to bed because I did not want to open the door for him. He pleaded with me to open the door, saying he came with an aim of restoring peace between us,” Chepkemboi told Citizen Television on Monday. “After much deliberation, I let him in. When we were done talking to each other, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Scotland yard commander in charge of drug strategy is suspended over alleged drug misuse

                                           A Scotland Yard commander who led the force’s drug strategy and heads misconduct hearings has been suspended over allegations of drug misuse.   Commander Julian Bennett was secretly suspended last month following claims involving controlled drugs. It was reported that he was taken off duty after refusing to have a drug test following a tip-off about alleged substance abuse.    The veteran officer now faces an internal investigation by Scotland Yard’s directorate of professional standards, despite reports that part of his role in the force is acting as chairman in misconduct proceedings.   Nicknamed ‘Sacker,’ Mr. Bennett is well known for his stern rulings due to the number of officers kicked out of the force, having presided over hundreds of hearings since 2010, including some of the force’s most controversial invest...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dapchi girls: Abductors want to surrender ―Aisha Wakil

                      MEMBERS of the Boko Haram sect that have sent thousands to their untimely graves are ready to surrender, founder of the Complete Care Aid Foundation, Aisha Wakil, has said. Popularly called Mama Boko Haram, Aisha, however, said their apprehension was how they would be reintegrated into society. Her assertion came as parents of the 110 abducted girls of Government Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State are losing their cool by the day as their children spent 13 days in captivity. In an apparent loss of confidence in the authorities, they have resolved to take their destinies in their own hands by forming the Dapchi Abducted Girls Parents Association. Wakil, who is a major negotiator for the sect, told Sunday Tribune that she could vouch for their readiness to drop their arms and embrace peace. “I was shocked, like every other Nigerian, as same history has repeated itself like Chibok girls. I enqui...
Post a Comment
Read more