FG orders corrective measures as popular food products fail quality tests

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has uncovered deficiencies in vegetable oil and salt sold in Nigerian markets, raising concerns about the nutritional quality of commonly consumed food products.

The findings followed a two-month investigation conducted in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which revealed that some products failed to meet Nigeria's mandatory food fortification standards.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the commission disclosed that 200 samples collected from randomly selected markets and households across northern and southern Nigeria were examined.

Of the 100 vegetable oil samples tested, 12% contained inadequate levels of required nutrients, while 2% of the 100 salt samples failed to meet the prescribed standards.

The results indicated that 12 vegetable oil samples and two salt samples were inadequately fortified.

Food fortification involves adding essential vitamins and minerals to widely consumed products to prevent nutritional deficiencies. In Nigeria, vegetable oil is required to contain vitamin A, while table salt must contain iodine.

The investigation covered both branded and unbranded products.

Among the vegetable oil samples, 49 were unbranded and 51 carried commercial labels, including Devon Kings, Power Oil, Activa, Golden Penny, Laziz Oil and Mamador.

For salt, 19 samples were unbranded, while 81 carried the Mr Chef or Dangote brands.

However, the commission did not publicly identify which individual brands or batches failed the tests, making it inappropriate to attribute the deficiencies to any particular manufacturer.

Beyond the nutritional shortfalls, investigators discovered weaknesses in the monitoring system designed to track fortified products from factories to consumers.

Only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform developed by GAIN.

Furthermore, just eight test results from three registered companies had been uploaded to the system.

FCCPC said the limited participation undermined transparency and made it more difficult to identify problems within the food supply chain.

Consequently, the commission directed defaulting producers to comply with national fortification requirements and referred its findings to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further regulatory action.

FCCPC Executive Vice-Chairman Tunji Bello maintained that consumers were entitled to products that delivered their advertised nutritional benefits.

He stressed that manufacturers must maintain appropriate quality standards throughout production and distribution.

The commission also urged consumers to pay attention to food labels and proper storage practices.

The findings concern inadequate nutrient fortification and do not, by themselves, establish that the sampled products were contaminated or poisonous.

What to know:

Nigeria introduced mandatory salt iodisation in 1993 and expanded food fortification requirements to vegetable oil, sugar and flour in 2002 to combat micronutrient deficiencies. Iodine deficiency can impair thyroid function and childhood development, while insufficient vitamin A can affect vision and immunity. Despite these policies, earlier national surveys identified persistent gaps in fortification, particularly in edible oils. The latest findings renew questions about regulatory inspections, manufacturers' compliance and the effectiveness of monitoring systems intended to ensure that Nigerians receive essential nutrients from everyday foods.