…Survey finds 12% of oil, 2% of salt samples below fortification standards
…Orders defaulting producers to comply with digital tracking requirements
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has moved to enforce quality standards in the production of vegetable oil and salt after a survey revealed that some samples sold in Nigerian markets were inadequately fortified.
The Commission disclosed that 12 per cent of vegetable oil samples and two per cent of salt samples examined during the exercise failed to meet the required fortification standards.
The survey, conducted in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), involved 200 samples comprising 100 vegetable oil and 100 salt samples collected from randomly selected markets and households across northern and southern Nigeria over a two-month period.
In a statement on Thursday, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the exercise combined a Household Food Fortification Survey with the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform to monitor and track fortified food products.
Large-Scale Food Fortification involves adding essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc and iodine, to widely consumed food products during industrial processing.
The practice is designed to address micronutrient deficiencies and reduce hidden hunger, particularly among pre-school children and women of reproductive age.
Ijagwu disclosed that of the 100 vegetable oil samples examined, 49 were unbranded while 51 carried different brand names.
The branded products included Devon Kings, Power Oil, Activa, Golden Penny, Laziz Oil, Mamador, Lasor Oil, Golden Terra, Canola, Primo Vegetable Oil, Zimzitana Oil, Ayarah Oil, Sim, Tadenkey and Okli.
For salt, 19 of the 100 samples were unbranded, while 81 were branded, comprising 71 Mr Chef samples and 10 Dangote samples.
The Commission also identified poor participation by manufacturers in the DFQT+ digital traceability platform developed by GAIN to improve the monitoring of fortified products from production to consumption.
According to Ijagwu, only six vegetable oil producers had registered on the platform, while just eight results from three of the six companies were uploaded out of the 100 vegetable oil sample results analysed.
He said the Commission had consequently issued a directive compelling defaulting producers to comply with the relevant requirements.
Ijagwu explained that improved product traceability would help consumers and businesses identify quality concerns, promote transparency and enable manufacturers and regulators to address problems across the supply chain.
The FCCPC also urged manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, to embrace product registration and digital traceability.
It further called for increased consumer awareness of the importance of fortified foods, as well as proper product handling and storage.
Commenting on the findings, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, said consumers deserved to have confidence in the quality of products they purchased and the benefits those products were expected to provide.
Bello noted that consumer protection went beyond resolving complaints and addressing harmful business practices, stressing that it also involved ensuring that consumers received the value and benefits promised by products in the marketplace.
He added that manufacturers had a responsibility to maintain appropriate quality standards and ensure that their products complied with applicable regulations.
The Commission said it had also escalated the findings to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for further action in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between both agencies.
