FCCPC Seals Food Firms Over Failed Fortification Tests

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the manufacturing facilities of some food companies after laboratory tests revealed that certain vegetable oil and salt products sold in Nigerian markets failed to meet required nutritional standards.

The commission discovered that 12 per cent of vegetable oil samples and two per cent of salt samples tested did not contain the required levels of essential micronutrients.

Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, disclosed this on Thursday while presenting the findings of a two-month market survey conducted in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

The survey was carried out to assess manufacturers’ compliance with Nigeria’s mandatory food fortification policy and determine whether consumers were getting the nutritional benefits expected from the products they purchased.

A total of 200 samples were randomly collected from households and open markets across Northern and Southern Nigeria. The samples consisted of 100 vegetable oil products and 100 salt products.

Laboratory examinations showed that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil samples failed to meet the required fortification standards, while two per cent of the salt samples also recorded similar failures.

The investigation further revealed that nearly half of the vegetable oil products examined were sold without identifiable brands. Out of the 100 samples collected, 49 were unbranded, while 51 carried registered or identifiable brand names.

The commission also raised concerns over the poor use of digital platforms designed to monitor the quality of fortified food products from manufacturers to consumers.

According to the findings, only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on GAIN’s Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform. However, just three companies uploaded a combined total of eight product test results to the system.

Bello explained that large-scale food fortification is a compulsory public health policy introduced to address micronutrient deficiencies among Nigerians.

The policy requires manufacturers to add essential nutrients such as vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine to selected food products to improve their nutritional value and help prevent health problems associated with nutrient deficiencies.

He said consumers deserved to get products that met the quality and health standards advertised by manufacturers, adding that the commission would not allow businesses to compromise the safety and nutritional value of food sold to Nigerians.

Bello disclosed that the FCCPC had issued compliance directives to the affected manufacturers, insisting that every batch of food products released into the market must meet the approved quality and safety requirements.

He added that the findings of the investigation had been forwarded to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further regulatory action.

The development is part of the existing collaboration between both agencies under a memorandum of understanding aimed at improving consumer protection and ensuring that food products sold in Nigeria meet the required standards.