The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sounded a fresh warning to consumers following the widespread circulation of substandard and unregistered edible oils across the country.
The agency, in a notice published on its X handle on Tuesday, said several brands of cooking oil currently being sold in major markets have neither undergone regulatory scrutiny nor met minimum safety requirements.
It identified the products as FINO, PUR, OKI, SUPER DELICIEX and LA JONIC, noting that they are being smuggled into Nigeria and openly traded under various names.
According to NAFDAC, the oils have flooded markets in cities including Onitsha, Aba, Owerri, Warri, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Ikom, Calabar and Lagos, particularly in Trade Fair, Oke Arin, Ikotun and Mushin.
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Similar distributions were also traced to Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Yola, Gombe, Bauchi, Idiroko, Makurdi and Lafia.
The alert followed concerns raised by Lebruni Agro Limited, a registered local producer of soybean and palm kernel oils, after an internal market survey revealed extensive warehousing and distribution networks for the unregulated products.
NAFDAC noted that the oils bear no manufacturer information or registration details and do not appear in its regulatory database, raising questions about their origin, production process and potential health risks.
The agency urged Nigerians to be vigilant and report any suspicious or unregistered edible oil found in circulation to the nearest NAFDAC office.
