The Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) has endorsed the RIC-GIKO range of tomato paste brands. According to a memo signed by its national president Dr. Omo-Ehijele Frank ODAFEN and national secretary Dr. Kay A. ADESOLA the decision to endorse the entire range of RIC-GIKO brands was taken after its research confirmed that the quality of RIC-GIKO meets the requisite standards set by the various regulatory agencies including Standards organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This comes on the heels of the NIS certification by SON and the current Good Manufacturing practice (cGMP) by NAFDAC earlier in the year received by Erisco Foods Limited, manufacturers of RIC-GIKO.
The global standard for tomato paste is that it must contain only tomato concentrate made from 100% fresh tomatoes without any additive. Bulking agents (such as starch) and colouring are completely forbidden even though a good number of tomato pastes imported into Nigeria contain the illegal substances. AGPMPN’s endorsement of RIC-GIKO affirms that it is a wholesome tomato paste ideal for the culinary and nutritional needs of Nigerians.
Wholesome tomato paste such as RIC-GIKO which is 100% NATURAL is a rich source of Lycopene, a photochemical with many possible health benefits and a natural pigment that gives many red fruits and vegetables their colour. It has been scientifically proven that Lycopene contains a potent antioxidant that stabilizes free radicals making them harmless and helping the body to dispose of them thereby reducing the risks of cancer and other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Substandard tomato pastes contain little or no Lycopene and the banned colouring used by importers of deadly tomato paste are most times impossible to dispose of from the body. The colourings therefore stick to veins, arteries and vital organs and accumulate to cause cancer, hypertension and other diseases. In addition, the banned colouring agents have been proven to cause poor neurological development in children; causing hyperactivity, poor concentration and, hence, poor performance in education and progress in life.
Nigerians are advised to patronize made-in-Nigeria Food products such as RIC-GIKO tomato paste because local manufacturers are always being closely monitored by the regulatory agencies unlike imported and smuggled brands that play all manner of tricks to evade regulation, maximize profits and push substandard tomato pastes into the country.
RIC-GIKO tomato paste is the flagship product of Erisco Foods Limited whose vision is to be one of the largest indigenous Nigerian manufacturers of food products with a mission to produce and package quality products for everyday use in Nigerian homes. RIC-GIKO tomato paste comes in a range of 5 tins and sachets. It also comes in two variants: the classic which is only tomato paste while the other is a blend of tomato and pepper paste. Erisco Foods has an installed factory capacity of 240, 000 metric tonnes per annum (first phase) in Oregun in Lagos state.
