Nigerian Public Alert 44: The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is alerting the public about the incessant importation and circulation of some substandard and unregistered edible oils in Nigeria.
Lebruni Agro Limited, a duly registered Nigerian company that engages in the business of manufacturing hygienically operated premium quality edible soybean oil (Liorga oil) and palm kernel oil, raised a concern regarding the incessant importation and circulation of some substandard and unregistered edible oils in Nigeria.
Lebruni Agro Limited raised such concern following an internal market surveillance made by the company which identified various brands currently in circulation. These brands include and not limited to; FINO, PUR, OKI, SUPER DELICIEX, and LA JONIC, all of which maintain warehousing facilities to support their illegal distribution network.
The above listed brands of adulterated and unregulated edible oils, whose sources, production processes, and safety standard remain unknown, are being smuggled into Nigeria, and are openly circulating and have flooded the market under different brand names, particularly in Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Warri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Ikom, Calabar, Lagos (tradefair, Okiarin, Ikotun, Mushin), Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Yola, Gombe, Bauchi, Idiroka, Makurdi and Lafia. It is also evident that these products have no identifiable manufacturer identity or NAFDAC registration numbers in Nigeria.
Risk Statement
The illegal marketing and consumption of unregistered or substandard products poses a danger to public health, since by not complying with the process for manufacturing, marketing authorization, legal importation, distribution or sale, the safety, quality and efficacy of the products are not guaranteed. These products often contain harmful chemical residues, unrefined impurities, or degraded fats that can cause immediate or long-term health issues including cardiovascular diseases, liver damage and other chronic conditions.
These products are obviously not registered by NAFDAC and not available in the NAFDAC database. It is important to ensure that they are not smuggled into the country through informal markets.
NAFDAC implores importers, distributors, retailers and healthcare providers to always exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain to avoid the importation, distribution, sale or use of the substandard or unregistered products. Consumers are also advised to carefully check products’ authenticity and physical condition before consumption.
Report any suspected substandard or unregistered edible oil to the nearest NAFDAC office, or call NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng
Similarly, healthcare professionals and patients are also encouraged to report adverse events or side effects related to the use of medicinal products or devices to the nearest NAFDAC office, or through the use of the E-reporting platforms available on the NAFDAC website www.nafdac.gov.ng, or via the Med-safety application available for download on Android and IOS stores, or via e-mail on pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng
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