Expired Tomato Paste From Iran Floods Nigerian Market

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has raised the alarm over the importation of expired and low quality tomato paste from Iran.

It warned that the expired product was injurious to health and mandated all concerned officers of the service to do all within their power to retrieve the product from circulation.

In a memo dated July 5, 2019 and tagged, “Re: Importation of expired Iranian Tomato paste”, obtained by LEADERSHIP Sunday newspaper yesterday, the Comptroller General of the service, Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) directed all Customs Area Comptrollers, head of the Federal Operations Units and head of units at all seaports, airports and land borders to be at alert.

The memo which was signed by the Deputy Comptroller General, Tariff and Trade, Isa Talatu, directed strict compliance by the service heads.

The memo reads,

“It has been reported that six containers of expired and low quality Iranian tomato paste , SHIRIN ASAL MY TOMATO, with brix 20-22 instead of the recommended brix 27-29, has been imported into the country by M.T.V investment limited.

“Consumption of the paste is said to be harmful to human health. Consequently, all CACs are directed to put appropriate mechanism in place to debar entry of the said paste and liaise with relevant agencies to forestall distribution and consumption.”