The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed producers of vegetable oil and salt found to be inadequately fortified to comply with mandatory food fortification standards following concerns raised by a nationwide market survey.
The Commission disclosed that some samples of vegetable oil and salt collected from markets and households across northern and southern Nigeria contained insufficient levels of essential vitamins and minerals.
The findings followed a two-month survey conducted in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), involving randomly selected markets and households across the country.
The study analysed 200 samples, comprising 100 vegetable oil and 100 salt samples, and discovered that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil and two per cent of the salt samples were inadequately fortified at the household level.
The survey adopted a Household Food Fortification Survey methodology, supported by the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform, designed to monitor and track fortified food products from production to consumption.
Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) involves adding essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc and iodine, to commonly consumed food products during industrial processing.
The initiative is aimed at addressing micronutrient deficiencies and reducing hidden hunger, a public health challenge that particularly affects preschool children and women of reproductive age.
The FCCPC noted that Nigeria’s national food policy makes fortification mandatory for manufacturers of relevant food products.
Giving a breakdown of the vegetable oil samples, the Commission said 49 were unbranded, while 51 carried different brand names.
Among the branded vegetable oils sampled were Devon Kings, 19; Power Oil, 12; Activa, four; Golden Penny, three; Laziz Oil, three; Mamador, Lasor Oil, Golden Terra, Canola, Primo Vegetable Oil, Zimzitana Oil, Ayarah Oil, Sim, Tadenkey and Okli, with one sample each.
For salt, 19 samples were unbranded, while 81 were branded, comprising 71 samples of Mr Chef and 10 of Dangote salt.
Beyond the fortification gaps, the exercise also identified poor participation by manufacturers in the DFQT+ digital traceability platform developed by GAIN to strengthen the monitoring of fortified food products.
According to the Commission, only six vegetable oil manufacturers had registered on the platform, while just eight test results belonging to three of the registered companies were uploaded from the 100 vegetable oil samples analysed.
The FCCPC said it had consequently issued directives compelling defaulting producers to comply with the required standards.
It also urged manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), to embrace product registration and digital traceability systems to improve transparency, accountability and quality assurance across the food supply chain.
The Commission further called for increased consumer awareness of the importance of fortified foods, as well as appropriate product handling and storage practices.
Commenting on the findings, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, said consumers must have confidence in the quality of products they purchase and the benefits such products are expected to deliver.
Bello explained that consumer protection goes beyond resolving complaints and addressing harmful business practices, stressing that it also involves ensuring that consumers receive the quality and benefits they are entitled to expect from products in the marketplace.
He added that manufacturers have a responsibility to maintain appropriate quality standards and ensure their products comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
The Commission also disclosed that it had referred the matter to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further action in accordance with the existing Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies.
