Agency reacts to plastic fish circulation in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (

NAFDAC said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, April 5, 2018, that its finding followed a thorough investigation and analysis of some unsuspected plastic fish samples in its laboratory.

The agency said that the investigation was triggered by a report from a consumer in Abuja who claimed that he bought a fish which refused to cook when set on fire for several minutes.

“The suspected sample of the fish, after thorough investigation, was confirmed to contain protein and fat which is normal to fish," the statement said.

“The fish was, however, found to be unwholesome due to serious bacterial contamination.”

“While encouraging Nigerians to watch carefully the kind of fish they buy; it is however important to stress that there is no plastic fish in Nigeria,’’ NAFDAC announced.

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The agency noted that few weeks ago, there had been the circulation of suspected plastic fish in some parts of the world on the social media but stressed that no single case had been found in Nigeria, so far.

It urged Nigerians to report any suspected unwholesome product, including fish to the nearest NAFDAC office for further investigation.