The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed the manufacturing facilities of defaulting food companies after comprehensive laboratory tests exposed severe non-compliance with national food fortification standards.
The regulatory crackdown follows a nationwide food quality assessment conducted over a two-month period in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN).
​During the nationwide investigation, researchers evaluated 200 randomly selected food samples collected from open markets and households across Northern and Southern Nigeria. Laboratory analysis confirmed that key daily staples failed mandatory public health nutrition benchmarks.
Out of the 100 vegetable oil samples tested, comprising 51 branded products, including Devon King’s, Power Oil, Activa, Golden Penny, Laziz, Mamador, and Golden Terra, alongside 49 unbranded oil samples, 12 per cent failed to meet mandatory fortification levels due to deficient Vitamin A content.
Similarly, two per cent of the 100 tested salt samples, which included 81 branded products such as Dangote Salt and Mr Chef as well as 19 unbranded samples, failed to satisfy mandatory iodine fortification standards.
​Presenting the survey findings at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, described Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) as a non-negotiable statutory directive aimed at combating micronutrient deficiency and hidden hunger among vulnerable populations, particularly children and women of reproductive age.
​”Large-scale food fortification is a mandatory public health policy aimed at tackling micronutrient deficiencies through the addition of essential nutrients, including vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc, and iodine,” stated Tunji Bello. “The commission will not tolerate corporate negligence that compromises public health and safety.”
​Adding to the official position, FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, confirmed that defaulting facilities were sealed to prevent substandard products from entering the supply chain.
Ijagwu emphasized that the FCCPC has formally forwarded the laboratory results to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) for secondary regulatory sanctions under their joint inter-agency Memorandum of Understanding.
​The commission also highlighted poor industry adoption of digital monitoring, noting that only six vegetable oil processors have onboarded the Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus (DFQT+) platform to ensure supply-chain transparency.
Consequently, the FCCPC has issued a strict deadline to all food processors operating in Nigeria to comply with national standards or face permanent operational bans and prosecution.
