15/03/2024
ON ERISCO FOODS TOMATOES PASTE AND TOMATOES MIX - Tola Olaosebikan
PART 1.
Upon the breaking news of Chioma's Ganiko Tomatoes Mix sàga sometimes last year, and as a food & Beverage specialist, product/packaging developer, a certified QC person of over 33 years in the industry, I picked up interest in the matter.
I searched my home thoroughly if I could lay my hands on a sample. From cartons for bulk culinary items in the kitchen's Store room to kitchen cabinets, none and kitchen refrigerator, none. The day after, I decided to drop by at a popular grocery store with multiple outlets (name withheld) to pick up a number of the product as samples for personal observation.
My findings comfirmed Chioma's fear.
Although at some point in 2023, spoke out "lazily" in defense of Erisco to affirm that sugar is a permitted food preservative and may (optional) be used in tomatoes paste production both to mask the bitter taste (perceived) of concentrated raw tomatoes paste and as a preservative.
However, NAFDAC failed to specify the sugar content (w/w%) which they themselves do not have it in their SOP except as recipé handed to them by the manufacturers in most cases.
My findings are:
1. Yes, it may (sugar) be used as a preservative, did Erisco Food keep to Codex Alimentarius Standards, which is the ultimate authority in Food and processed food matters? This is no proximate analysis information to that on the product label.
2. On the ingredient section of the label, there are no disclosure of sugar both for Ric-Giko and Nagiko Tomato Mix. It still have some tins and sachets of production batches of 2023 untouched. This is completely wrong and it is a violation of labeling regulation on food products.
, , and are to blame for this professional error and regulatory lapses. In comparison, Sonia Tomatoes Paste (a competitor's brand) not only made a disclosure of sugar on their ingredients list section on the label but also placed an Allergen Caution warning for Soy in case you are allergic to soy product. Other brands such as Gino and Tasty Tom has sugar on their ingredients list.
3. Nagiko and Ric-Giko made a claim of "100% Natural" on their label with photo of tomato fruits. This simply give impression of these products being derived from 100% fresh farm natural tomatoes fruits only. Whereas, on the same label section of these 2 brands, 28-30% minimum tomato concentrate was written meaning about 70-72% are other food additives other than tomatoes fruits. If NAFDAC confirm that sugar (though not on product label) and it is safe, one can now conclude that the remaining 70-72% is water, salt and sugar. The product being a paste which means less water, one could then guess what percentage will be sugar and salt. Was this the reason why sugar is missing on the ingredients list?
4. Water, Salt and sugar (disclosed) can not be constituents of the remaining 70-72% (w/w), that is not Tomatoes content. As a food specialist, I know this and , & should know better. Why did failed to fully disclose all in its its Tomatoes Paste/Mix?
Aside other than:
1.Conentrate Tomatoes (28-30% Min).
2.Treated Water and
3. Salt only.
Are there no food coloring, food thickener, acid regulator(s) or emulsiier..?
Again this is a violation of food labeling rule.
Other brands such as Sonia, Gino & Tasty Tom put out full ingredient list on their products. Was this deliberate and intentional to enable Erisco Tomatoes to be labeled "100% NATURAL"?
To Gino, Tasty Tom, Sonia and other tomatoes paste/mix manufacturers, I challenge you to toll the path of Erisco Foods by indication percentage of tomatoes concentrates in your products.
PART 2.
On the No 2 finding, however, it should noted that non-disclosures of products composition of processed food on food labels to consumers is a "professional crime" that is "killing" and it can actually lead to physical death by unassuming comsumer.
This is where Erisco Foods violated the rules in the first instance.
and
should take note.
Erisco Foods needed to be sanctioned for this violation.
The Nigeria Police Force should know better based of the result of their cybercrime investigation carried out on Chioma. The liability of the "social group" she belongs. It is therefore the right and the perogative of the Erisco Foods to seek for justice if they are perceived to be unjustly slandered and violated.
However, assuming, but not conceding that whatever word Chioma must have used in her Facebook post could mean "killing" by the prosecution team, she is still right in many ways.
She did not say that the product has killed alreay. So, no need to produce dead body as evidence on her part.
a. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary (1828) the word "killing'' could mean" extremely difficult to deal with"
Example - Basketmouth jokes are killing.
This statement does not mean that jokes by Basketmouth has killed.
b. Assuming Chioma or any member of her family she used Nagiko Tomato Paste to cook for is DIABETIC. Would that not have been injurious to her health or to such her family member?
Will she not the right for her to use the word "killing''?
Can her continuous consumption as a diabetic person of such unsuspecting food substance because of non-disclosure on the food label lead to death?
If a consumer is allergic to a food substance, can his/her accidental or continuous exposure to that allergen lead to death expecially when such individual failed to use the antidote?
Today, there are many medically established and recognized allergens that are day-to-day food substances.
Examples are:
1. Soy - from soyabeans
2. Lactose-milk sugar
3. Gluten - from wheat grains/flour in bread.
4. Crustaceans - prawns, lobsters, crabs
5. Eggs
6. Peanuts....
Mere accidental injection as food of any of these could lead to a life-threatening medical condition or even death depending of level of intolerance of such person.
These are just preliminary findings without the use of laboratory chemical, microbiological and pesticide residual analytical methods of Erisco Foods Tomatoes products.
To all consumers out there, kindly take out time to go through food labels before purchasing or use. The information there are very important and not just for aesthetic purposes. This is also applicable to other items such as cosmetics, drugs and house hold items.
Chief Eric Umofia , is a senior colleague who has invested a lot in the industry expecially in the challenging manufacturing sector here in Nigeria and also employer of labor should seek for amicably resolution to this case.
The trial and conviction of Chioma and the 3 years jail term if at all it will happen can only bring paint the image of the company and it's brand dimmer in the public opinion expecially that the case is already attraction national and international attentions and outcry.
An out of court resolution where there will neither a Victor or a vanquished is what is needed at this point.
And to everyone out there, this is NOT about product boycott but about corrections that needed to be made by all stakeholders in the Food & Beverages Industry.
CAVEAT: This is not a sponsored post. I take responsibility for all what I put out here.
