The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed manufacturers of vegetable oil and salt whose products failed to meet prescribed fortification levels to comply with national food standards.
The directive followed a two-month assessment conducted by the commission in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which revealed inadequate fortification in some food products sampled from markets and households across Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the FCCPC said 200 samples, comprising 100 vegetable oil and 100 salt samples, were analysed during the exercise.
The findings revealed that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil samples and two per cent of the salt samples failed to meet the required fortification standards.
The assessment covered randomly selected markets and households in the northern and southern parts of the country.
According to the commission, it deployed the Household Food Fortification Survey and the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform to assess and monitor compliance with food fortification requirements.
The exercise also exposed poor registration of manufacturers on the digital platform, developed by GAIN to strengthen the monitoring of fortified food products from production to consumption.
The FCCPC disclosed that only six vegetable oil manufacturers were registered on the platform, while just eight results from three of the six companies were uploaded among the 100 vegetable oil samples examined.
“Accordingly, the Commission has issued a directive compelling the defaulting producers to comply,” the statement said.
The commission urged manufacturers, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), to register their products and adopt digital traceability systems to improve monitoring and ensure compliance with food quality standards.
Commenting on the findings, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said consumers deserved confidence in the quality of products they purchased and the benefits those products were expected to provide.
“Consumer protection is not limited to resolving complaints or addressing harmful business practices; it also involves ensuring that consumers are not denied the value and benefits they are entitled to expect from products in the marketplace,” Bello said.
He stressed that manufacturers had a responsibility to maintain quality standards and ensure their products complied with relevant regulations.
Food fortification involves adding essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc and iodine, to commonly consumed foods during industrial processing.
The intervention is designed to prevent micronutrient deficiencies and reduce hidden hunger, a persistent public health concern, particularly among pre-school children and women of reproductive age.
The FCCPC said it had also referred 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.
The commission urged consumers to pay attention to fortified food products and ensure they were properly handled and stored.
It reiterated that food fortification remained an important public health intervention for improving the nutritional value of widely consumed foods and addressing micronutrient deficiencies that can adversely affect growth, development and overall health.
