By Hosea Parah
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has ordered vegetable oil and salt manufacturers to immediately comply with national food standards after their products failed to meet mandatory fortification levels.
According to officials, the mandate was issued after a two-month investigation exposed substandard food fortification across Nigeria.
Conducted by the commission alongside the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the study uncovered inadequate nutrient levels in various food products sampled from local markets and households.
In a statement issued by the commission on Thursday, and signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the FCCPC said 200 samples, comprising 100 vegetable oil and 100 salt samples, were analysed during the exercise.
The findings showed that 12 per cent of the vegetable oil samples and two per cent of the salt samples did not meet the required fortification standards.
The survey covered randomly selected markets and households in northern and southern parts of the country.
The commission said it deployed a Household Food Fortification Survey and the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform to assess and track fortified food products.
It also identified poor enrolment of manufacturers on the digital platform, developed by GAIN to improve the monitoring of fortified products from production to consumption.
According to the FCCPC, only six vegetable oil manufacturers had 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, to register their products and adopt digital traceability systems.
Commenting on the findings, the FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said consumers should have confidence in the quality of products they buy and the benefits those products are expected to deliver.
“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 said manufacturers were responsible for maintaining quality standards and ensuring that their products complied with relevant regulations.
Food fortification involves adding essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folic acid, vitamin A, zinc and iodine, to commonly consumed foods during industrial processing.
The process is aimed at preventing micronutrient deficiencies and reducing hidden hunger, which remains a 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 for further action, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the two agencies.
It urged consumers to pay attention to fortified food products and ensure they were properly handled and stored.
Food fortification is a public health intervention designed to improve the nutritional quality of widely consumed foods by adding essential micronutrients during processing.
It helps address deficiencies that may not be obvious but can affect growth, development and general health.