FCCPC Moves Against Producers of Poorly Fortified Vegetable Oil, Salt.
The vommission said it had issued directives compelling defaulting producers to comply with mandatory food fortification requirements, warning that consumers must not be deprived of the nutritional benefits expected from products sold in the Nigerian market.
The intervention followed an assessment conducted in partnership with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which found that 12 per cent of vegetable oil samples and two per cent of salt samples tested were inadequately fortified.
The survey, which examined 200 samples comprising 100 vegetable oils and 100 salt products, was conducted over two months across randomly selected markets and households in northern and southern Nigeria.
The findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s large-scale food fortification programme, which seeks to combat micronutrient deficiencies through the addition of essential vitamins and minerals to commonly consumed foods. Commenting on the findings, Executive Vice Chairman/ Chief Executive, FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said consumers were entitled to trust the quality of products they purchased and the benefits those products were expected to deliver. He stressed that consumer protection extended beyond resolving complaints and tackling harmful business practices to ensuring that consumers received the actual value and benefits associated with products in the marketplace.
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