Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria / NAFDAC
NAFDAC Dismisses Unverified Claims of Fake Foods on Social Media, Lists Enforcement Record
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has dismissed several unverified claims circulating on social media about suspected fake and adulterated food products in the country.

The agency was reacting to a report published last Saturday by a national daily and the subsequent online discussions that listed products such as yoghurt, palm oil, apples, soy sauce, olive oil, chicken, fish, water and beverages as potentially unsafe.

In a statement on Monday signed by its Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC said while it acknowledges public concern, many of the allegations on social media have not been independently verified.

“Social media allegations do not, by themselves, establish that a product is counterfeit, adulterated, or unsafe,” the agency said, adding that it takes immediate action — including public alerts, seizures, recalls and prosecution — where investigations confirm violations.

NAFDAC clarified that its mandate under the NAFDAC Act covers only processed and packaged foods. Unbranded and unpackaged items sold in open markets, such as palm oil and fufu, are under the jurisdiction of state and local authorities, while fresh imported produce like apples, grapes and oranges falls under the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).

The agency said it is working with sister agencies for better coordination under the National Policy on Food Safety and Quality and its 2023 Implementation Plan.

On specific concerns, NAFDAC recalled its campaign since 2018 against the use of calcium carbide for artificial fruit ripening, and raised alarm over the adulteration of palm oil with azo dyes and the reported use of bleach in fufu production. It also noted that laboratory tests in May 2026 confirmed that all NAFDAC-registered bread brands in circulation are safe for consumption.

According to the statement, enforcement of the January 2026 ban on alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml is still ongoing, with manufacturers already dismantling production lines.

On its recent surveillance activities, NAFDAC disclosed that between May and July 2026, its Post-Market Surveillance Directorate inspected 6,233 facilities across the country and removed 7,210 non-compliant products. Food and water products topped the list with 3,633 removals, followed by drugs and herbal products (2,459) and cosmetics (911).

Recent actions listed include a public alert on counterfeit Colgate toothpaste, sanctions on three companies for illegally refilling 19-litre CWAY dispenser bottles, and the arrest in July 2026 of a suspect caught counterfeiting Oral-B toothpaste.

The agency also highlighted major operations from 2023 to 2026, including the destruction of products worth over N120 billion in 2024, seizure of over 137 truckloads of counterfeit goods valued at over N1.5 trillion from markets in Idumota, Onitsha and Aba between February and March 2025, destruction of fake and expired medicines worth over N15 billion in Ibadan in February 2026, and seizure of over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice worth N5 billion in Nasarawa in June 2026.

NAFDAC said it has secured 64 convictions for counterfeiting, with jail terms ranging from one to seven years without an option of fine. This includes seven years for fake antibiotics and five years each for falsified antimalarials and codeine-based syrups.

Prof. Adeyeye stressed that the presence of fake products in the market does not mean absence of regulation, noting that ridding the market of substandard goods requires collective effort.

The agency urged Nigerians to report suspected fake products through its official channels — Enquiries: 0700-1-NAFDAC (0700-1-623322) and Complaints: 0800-1-NAFDAC (0800-1-623322) — rather than resorting to social media.

Source: The Sun Nigeria