FCCPC Shuts Down Food Factories Over Poor Quality Cooking Oil and Salt

(FCCPC. Photo Credit: Vanguard News)
The FCCPC has shut down food factories.

Reports states that it happened because a market study showed that some vegetable oil and salts did not have enough added vitamins and minerals.

The commission also warned food makers to meet national nutrient fortification standards or face tougher action.

Tunji Bello, the commission's Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, shared the findings on Thursday.

The two-month survey was done with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAIN.

It tested 200 samples, with 100 vegetable oil products and 100 salt products.

The samples came from homes and open markets in both northern and southern Nigeria.

Lab tests showed that 12 per cent of the oil samples and two per cent of the salt samples did not have enough essential micronutrients by the time they reached households.

The survey covered both branded and unbranded products.

Half of the oil samples were branded, including Devon King's, Power Oil, Activa, Golden Penny, Laziz, Mamador and Golden Terra.

Most of the salt samples were branded, mainly Mr Chef and Dangote.

The survey also found weak use of digital tracking systems.

These systems are meant to follow the quality of fortified foods from the factory to the shop.

The commission uses GAIN's Digital Fortification Quality Traceability Plus platform for this.

Only six oil manufacturers had signed up to the platform.

Just three companies had uploaded test results, covering eight of the 100 oil samples.

Bello said food fortification is a mandatory public health rule.

Manufacturers must add vitamin A, iron, folic acid, zinc and iodine to staple foods.

This helps fight hidden hunger and nutrient gaps, especially among young children and women of childbearing age.

"Consumers must be able to trust the quality of the products they buy and the health benefits those products are advertised to provide," he said.

He added that buyers should get the nutrition and safety they pay for.

Bello said compliance is a legal duty, and manufacturers must make sure every batch meets quality standards.

The commission has already issued compliance orders to the companies that broke the rules.

He also urged small and medium businesses to register digitally and use traceability systems to improve quality control.

The commission plans to run public awareness campaigns on how to store and handle fortified foods so they keep their nutrients.

The commission has passed the survey findings to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, for further action under their agreement.