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Seized Expired Products from Chocolate Royal |
Chocolat Royal on Etim Inyang Crescent in VI, Lagos is a well known and loved bakery, ice cream shop and cafe was shut down last week and now we know why!
Oh by the way, the food mart is owned by entrepreneur, Amin Moussali who is also the boss of Cool FM, Nigeria Info, Wazobia FM, Cool TV as well as WEE TV.
- All food products/source material had expired – the oldest since 2004 and the newest in 2013. There were maggots found in some.
- 90% of the products were not labelled in English, and therefore were not registered by NAFDAC.
- Illegal cold rooms were found in the building and in the MD – Amin Moussalli‘s house.
- The contaminated food products were stored in cold rooms on top of sewage (‘suck away’ pit) and in front of toilets.
The foreign chefs also gave chilling insight into the business
practices – they knew the products were expired but still went ahead to
make them. City Reporters states:
On interrogation, the jittery cooks who identified themselves as John Gbokasa and David
from Benin Republic confirmed to NAFDAC officials that the House
belongs to Mr Moussali and that the fake, unregistered and expired food
products found inside the two cold rooms were for Chocolat Royal.“I know that the products have expired,
some, 2004, 2006, 2009, but I am a cook and I take instruction from my
boss,” David said.“Anytime they need some products to
prepare edibles at Chocolat Royal, they come here with van and mine is
to give them key to take whatever they want and after they finish taken
the items, they will return the key to me,” John added.They however begged the NAFDAC officials
not to arrest them but wait until their boss, Mr Moussalli who
absconded and is still at large or the wife who they said was out of the
country return. NAFDAC however, turn down their plea and arrested the
two who during interrogation at Apapa office of the Agency gave vital
information to NAFDAC.
How NAFDAC shut it down:
When NAFDAC arrived at Mr
Moussalli’s Karimu Kotun’s resident, they found two 40ft secret illegal cold
rooms filled with fake, unregistered and expired food products built on top of
sewage.
Moussalli’s Karimu Kotun’s resident, they found two 40ft secret illegal cold
rooms filled with fake, unregistered and expired food products built on top of
sewage.
But not before the foreign
national security guards and other domestic staff, unleashed dogs on the NAFDAC
officials and refused to open the main gate leading to the building against all
entreaties.
national security guards and other domestic staff, unleashed dogs on the NAFDAC
officials and refused to open the main gate leading to the building against all
entreaties.
They had to put a call
across to the Director Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley
Ejiofor who immediately stormed the scene.
across to the Director Investigation and Enforcement NAFDAC, Mr. Kingsley
Ejiofor who immediately stormed the scene.
When finally the gate was forced
opened and the guards subdued, the cooks voluntarily opened the two cold rooms
where the entire products in stock were discovered to have expired, many since
2004 with maggots’ found in some .
opened and the guards subdued, the cooks voluntarily opened the two cold rooms
where the entire products in stock were discovered to have expired, many since
2004 with maggots’ found in some .
At the end of evacuation, two
buses and two Hilux pick-up vans filled with the fake and expired products
worth over N500 million, all imported were evacuated from the Karimu Ikotun
resident of Mr. Moussali alone.
buses and two Hilux pick-up vans filled with the fake and expired products
worth over N500 million, all imported were evacuated from the Karimu Ikotun
resident of Mr. Moussali alone.
You can read more of the shocking account on City Reporters.