The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it does not have direct and absolute regulatory oversight over unbranded palm oil, fufu, and other traditionally packaged staple foods sold in open markets.
NAFDAC Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists on the agency’s efforts to tackle suspected counterfeit, adulterated, and unsafe products in circulation across Nigeria.
Adeyeye said the agency received 225 complaints about suspected counterfeit products in August alone, noting that NAFDAC typically receives over 200 complaints monthly through its various reporting channels.
She urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiters through NAFDAC’s official complaint channels rather than relying solely on social media, stressing that the agency’s 24-hour call centre and other channels allow it to assess complaints and determine whether investigation is warranted.
“Counterfeiters are not ghosts; they exist within our communities, neighbourhoods, and business premises,” she said.
Concerns over recent reports
Adeyeye acknowledged the agency was aware of concerns raised in recent media and social media reports about yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water, and beverages. However, she cautioned that social media allegations alone cannot establish that a product is unsafe, insisting that proper scientific testing and regulatory investigation are needed to validate such claims.
She explained that NAFDAC’s regulatory mandate over food primarily covers processed and packaged products — including inspection, sampling, laboratory analysis, compliance monitoring, post-market surveillance, complaint investigation, product verification, recall, and enforcement. Production, distribution, sale, or use of unregistered regulated products remains unlawful under the NAFDAC Act, and the agency can seize, recall, or take enforcement action where violations are found.
Palm oil and fufu adulteration
Despite the oversight gap, Adeyeye raised concern over reports of palm oil being adulterated with azo dyes and other hazardous contaminants, especially oil packaged in traditional forms. She also flagged reports that fufu and other staple foods are being produced with bleach and other harmful chemicals.
Because such products fall outside NAFDAC’s direct regulatory reach, she called on state and local governments to strengthen monitoring and enforcement in their jurisdictions.
Imported fruits
Adeyeye also clarified that some products cited in recent reports — particularly imported produce like apples, grapes, and oranges — fall under the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), not NAFDAC. She pointed to the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its 2023 implementation plan as the framework for inter-agency collaboration, adding that NAFDAC has been addressing unethical fruit-ripening practices since 2018 through restrictions on calcium carbide, public enlightenment, and stakeholder engagement.
READ ALSO:
- Abuja Building Collapse: FCT Police Reveal New Details on Wuse Zone 4 Incident
- Osun PDP Guber Candidate Disowns Petition Against Adeleke
- Italian priest quits ministry, weds Kenyan woman in traditional Baringo ceremony
- El-Rufai Slams Defence Minister Musa With N10bn Defamation Suit, Demands Public Apology
- NAFDAC: We Can’t Fully Regulate Unbranded Palm Oil, Fufu in Open Markets
