FCCPC seals firms as oil, salt samples fail fortification tests

By Olasunkanmi Akoni The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed manufacturing facilities of defaulting food companies following a survey that revealed inadequate fortification of some vegetable oil and salt products sold in Nigerian markets. The commission also warned food manufacturers to comply with national micronutrient fortification standards, vowing to intensify enforcement against businesses that fail to meet statutory requirements.

Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer 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 examined 200 randomly selected samples, comprising 100 vegetable oil and 100 salt products collected from households and open markets across Northern and Southern Nigeria.

Laboratory analysis showed that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil samples and two per cent of the salt samples were inadequately fortified with essential micronutrients at the household level. According to Bello, the survey covered both branded and unbranded products. Of the 100 vegetable oil samples, 49 were unbranded, while 51 were branded products, including Devon King’s, Power Oil, Activa, Golden Penny, Laziz, Mamador and Golden Terra, among others.

Similarly, 19 of the 100 salt samples were unbranded, while 81 were branded products, comprising 71 samples of Mr Chef and 10 of Dangote salt. The investigation also identified significant gaps in the adoption of digital traceability systems designed to monitor the quality of fortified food products from manufacturing facilities to retail outlets. Bello said the survey used GAIN’s Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform to track compliance and promote transparency across the food supply chain.

However, regulatory data showed that only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on the platform, while just three companies uploaded a combined eight product test results out of the 100 oil samples analysed. He stressed that large-scale food fortification was a mandatory public health policy designed to address micronutrient deficiencies by requiring food processors to enrich staple products with essential nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine.

He said the policy was particularly important in tackling hidden hunger and nutritional deficiencies among young children and women of reproductive age. “Consumers must be able to trust the quality of the products they buy and the health benefits those products are advertised to provide. “Consumer protection goes beyond resolving everyday complaints or halting deceptive business practices.

It fundamentally comes down to ensuring that citizens are not denied the essential value, safety and nutritional benefits they pay for in the marketplace,” Bello said. He maintained that compliance with national food policies was a legal obligation, adding that manufacturers were responsible for ensuring that every batch of their products met established quality and safety standards.

On the commission’s response to the findings, Bello said compliance directives had been issued to defaulting manufacturers. He also urged micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to embrace digital registration and supply chain traceability to strengthen quality assurance. The FCCPC, he added, would commence consumer awareness initiatives to educate Nigerians on proper product handling and storage to preserve the nutritional value of fortified foods.

Bello further disclosed that the commission had forwarded the survey findings to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further regulatory action, in line with the existing memorandum of understanding between the two agencies.