Crackdown Demanded As Fake Food Infiltrates Local Markets

ABUJA – Concerns over the circulation of coun­terfeit and adulterated food products in Nigerian markets have renewed calls for stronger regulatory enforcement, improved market surveillance and greater accountability across the food supply chain.

The concerns range from products bearing misleading labels and imitat­ing established brands to food items al­legedly contaminated with unauthorised substances, raising questions about con­sumer protection and the effectiveness of existing food safety controls.

The issue has drawn renewed atten­tion following warnings by Nigerian medical doctor and patient-care advo­cate, Dr. Aniekwe Donald, popularly known on social media as The Tall Ni­gerian Doctor, about the alleged use of Sudan dyes to adulterate palm oil.

Sudan dyes are synthetic, oil-soluble azo dyes normally used for industrial purposes such as coloring plastics, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe polishes. In labo­ratories, they are used as Sudan stains to detect fats, lipids, and tri­glycerides in biological samples. Because they mimic natural red colors, they have been illegally added to foods like chili powder, curry, and palm oil to enhance appearance.

In a video shared on social me­dia, Aniekwe cautioned against the deliberate alteration of food products to improve their appear­ance or commercial appeal, warn­ing that such practices could expose consumers to potentially harmful substances.

He also called for stronger reg­ulatory action against individuals and businesses found to be delib­erately compromising food safety.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) clas­sifies Sudan dyes as carcinogens (Class-3), and their use in food is banned worldwide by agencies like the EU and FDA.

Counterfeit and adulterated food products are distinct, al­though the practices may overlap. Counterfeit products are deliber­ately misrepresented as genuine goods, often through imitation packaging, unauthorised brand­ing or misleading information about their origin. Adulteration involves changing a food prod­uct’s composition through prac­tices such as dilution, ingredient substitution or the addition of un­authorised substances that may compromise its quality or safety.

Other food safety risks include the sale of expired products, con­tamination during processing and transportation, and improper storage. These problems can be difficult for consumers to identify because suspicious products may resemble genuine goods, while some forms of contamination are not detectable through visual inspection.

Aniekwe highlighted Sudan dye as an example of the potential dangers associated with unautho­rised colourants in food.

According to the doctor, un­scrupulous operators could add such colourants to palm oil to en­hance its appearance and attract buyers, potentially exposing con­sumers to harmful substances.

He recounted an encounter with a palm oil seller who re­portedly chose groundnut oil to eat white yam rather than palm oil, explaining that she no longer trusted the quality of palm oil sold in Lagos markets.

Aniekwe said the encounter reflected concerns among some consumers about the safety of a widely used cooking ingredient.

He also referred to an analysis reportedly released by the Lagos State Consumer Protection Agen­cy indicating that Sudan dyes had been detected in palm oil samples collected from markets. However, the specific findings, samples test­ed and extent of the alleged adul­teration require confirmation from the agency’s original report.

The allegation underscores the need for transparent commu­nication of laboratory findings and prompt investigation of sus­pected food adulteration. Claims involving specific products should be supported by verifi­able evidence before conclusions are drawn about the scale of a problem or the responsibility of particular producers and traders.

Consumers have also ex­pressed concern about products whose packaging appears gen­uine but whose quality raises suspicion.

A 42-year-old public servant and father of three, Olalekan Akinola, said he became more cautious after purchasing sea­soning cubes whose taste differed from what he was accustomed to. He also recalled discovering that a food product he had bought had expired.

Although he could not estab­lish whether the seasoning cubes were counterfeit, Akinola said the experience had changed how he assessed products before purchas­ing them.

“Before, I would simply pick what I needed and pay. Now, I check the package properly be­cause you cannot always tell by looking at it from a distance,” he said.

His experience illustrates the difficulty consumers face in identifying counterfeit products, particularly when imitation pack­aging closely resembles that of established brands.

Damaged packaging, unusual smells, discolouration and unex­pected changes in taste may in­dicate a problem, but these signs alone cannot conclusively estab­lish that a product is counterfeit or adulterated. Equally, products that appear normal may still contain contaminants requiring laboratory analysis to detect.

For 29-year-old petty trader, Amina Bello, economic hardship further complicates purchasing decisions, as households struggle to balance affordability with prod­uct quality.

“Sometimes, you see two products that look similar, but one is cheaper. When money is not enough, you naturally look for what you can afford. But that does not mean you want to buy something that will harm your family,” she said.

Bello called for regular market inspections and public education to help consumers identify suspi­cious products and understand how to report them.

She argued that consumer protection measures should be strengthened to ensure that people are not exposed to unsafe products simply because they cannot afford more expensive alternatives.

A 45-year-old food retailer, Chinedu Eze, said he sourced products from suppliers he con­sidered reliable and checked packaging, labels and expiry dates before displaying goods for sale.

“Your customers are the peo­ple who keep your business run­ning. If they lose confidence in you, they may stop coming. That is why I try to buy from suppliers I trust and inspect the goods before putting them on the shelves,” he said.

Eze urged traders to separate suspicious products from their stock and contact suppliers rath­er than risk selling potentially unsafe goods.

He acknowledged, however, that retailers could not inde­pendently verify the authenticity and safety of every product.

He called for regulatory agen­cies to provide practical guidance to traders on identifying suspi­cious goods and reporting sup­pliers distributing questionable products.

The concerns have renewed calls for more consistent inspec­tions of markets, warehouses, manufacturing facilities and distribution channels, alongside stronger monitoring of suppliers and retailers.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) regulates food products within its statutory mandate through measures that include product registration, surveillance and enforcement against counterfeit and unwhole­some regulated products.

Effective enforcement re­quires more than the seizure of suspicious goods. Regulatory au­thorities must investigate their sources, conduct appropriate tests, prevent further distribu­tion where necessary and pursue sanctions or prosecution when vi­olations are established.

Manufacturers, importers and distributors are expected to comply with applicable stan­dards and ensure the integrity of their products throughout the supply chain. Retailers, in turn, must exercise due diligence when sourcing goods and report suspicious supplies to the rele­vant authorities.

Aniekwe’s warning has add­ed to calls for closer scrutiny of alleged food adulteration, particularly where potentially harmful substances are involved. However, allegations concerning specific products must be estab­lished through credible evidence, with responsibility determined through due process.

Consumers can reduce some risks by purchasing packaged food from reputable outlets, checking expiry dates, inspect­ing packaging and seals, and examining labels and applicable registration details on regulated products.

For unpackaged foods such as palm oil, appearance alone can­not establish safety, making ap­propriate laboratory testing and effective regulatory surveillance particularly important.

The challenge, stakeholders say, is to ensure that food safety enforcement extends beyond reacting to reported incidents to identifying risks throughout production, distribution and re­tailing.

Sustained market surveil­lance, traceable supply chains, accessible complaint channels, public education and effective penalties for proven violations are essential to deterring offend­ers and restoring consumer con­fidence.

Toyin Adebayo is dedicated professional with over a decade experience of covering news and current events. My background lies in gathering and analyzing facts about newsworthy events through stories, features, interview, investigation, and observation. My reports have featured in many National Dailies and currently with INDEPENDENT Newspaper. Toyin holds a BA Ed in English Education, a member of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, National Association of Women Journalist. Married with kids.

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