FCCPC Seals Defaulting Food Firms Over Poor Fortification of Vegetable Oil, Salt

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has shut down the manufacturing facilities of food companies that failed to comply with Nigeria’s mandatory food fortification standards.

The enforcement action followed laboratory findings showing that 12 per cent of vegetable oil samples and two per cent of salt samples tested from Nigerian markets did not contain the required levels of essential micronutrients.

FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Tunji Bello, announced the findings yesterday during the presentation of a two-month market survey carried out jointly with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).

The exercise assessed compliance with Nigeria’s food fortification policy and revealed shortcomings that could affect consumers’ access to essential nutrients through everyday food items.

Researchers collected and analysed 200 randomly selected samples, including 100 vegetable oil products and 100 salt products, from households and open markets in Northern and Southern Nigeria.

Results 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.

The survey further revealed that 49 of the vegetable oil samples were unbranded, compared with 51 branded products.

Beyond the fortification failures, the investigation raised concerns about manufacturers’ limited use of digital systems for tracking fortified products throughout the supply chain.

Only six vegetable oil manufacturers had signed up on GAIN’s Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform, while three companies had submitted just eight product test results collectively.

Bello described large-scale food fortification as a compulsory public health intervention aimed at reducing micronutrient deficiencies by enriching food products with vital nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine.

He maintained that consumers deserved products that delivered the quality and health benefits advertised by manufacturers.

“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 stated.

He said the commission had issued compliance directives to the affected manufacturers, warning that all food production batches must satisfy the applicable quality and safety standards.

The FCCPC executive vice chairman also confirmed that the findings had been submitted to NAFDAC for further regulatory action under the memorandum of understanding governing cooperation between the two agencies.

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