The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has raised the alarm over substandard cooking oil and salt sold in Nigerian markets, warning manufacturers to comply with approved quality and food fortification standards.
The commission said a survey conducted in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) discovered that some vegetable oil and salt products contained inadequate levels of essential vitamins and minerals.
The FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, urged producers to standardise their products and ensure they meet national food fortification requirements.
According to a statement by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the survey analysed 200 samples, comprising 100 vegetable oils and 100 salt products, collected from markets and households across northern and southern Nigeria over two months.
The findings showed that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil samples and two per cent of the salt samples were inadequately fortified.
The survey also revealed that 49 of the 100 vegetable oil samples were unbranded, while 51 carried brands.
Similarly, 19 of the salt samples were unbranded, while 81 were branded.
The commission expressed concern over the poor participation of manufacturers in the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform, developed by GAIN to monitor fortified food products from production to consumption.
It disclosed that only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on the platform, while just eight results from three of the six companies could be uploaded among the 100 vegetable oil samples analysed.
The FCCPC said it had issued directives compelling defaulting manufacturers to comply with the requirements.
It also urged manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to embrace product registration and digital traceability to improve transparency and enable regulators to identify quality problems across the supply chain.
Large-Scale Food Fortification involves adding essential nutrients such as iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc and iodine to widely consumed foods during industrial processing.
The policy is designed to tackle micronutrient deficiencies, commonly known as hidden hunger, which affects millions of people, particularly pre-school children and women of reproductive age.
Bello said consumers deserved to have confidence in the quality of products they purchased and the nutritional benefits they were expected to provide.
He stressed that consumer protection went beyond resolving complaints and addressing harmful business practices, adding that Nigerians must get the value and benefits they were entitled to expect from products in the marketplace.
The commission said it had escalated the matter to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further action in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies.
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