The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has commenced shutting down facilities engaged in the packaging and sale of fake vegetable oil in Kwara State.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin on the sidelines of the exercise recently, Roselyn Ajayi, the state coordinator of NAFDAC, disclosed that the agency was alerted to the activities of some individuals buying vegetable oil in bulk.
She explained that these individuals were packaging and placing labels of unregistered brands on the product.
“We were tipped off by some concerned citizens and we investigated and found out that there were individuals engaging in packaging and selling vegetable oil whose sources are unverifiable,” she said.
Ajayi noted that due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown, there was reduced routine and surveillance activities by the agency, and that this has resulted in the rampant increase in the faking activities by these individuals.
“We were not able to go out for surveillance activities as we use to do. They took advantage of the fact the regulatory agency are not operating at full capacity because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Their illegal activities became heightened and based on the tip-off and the magnitude that was described to us; I had to recall some of the officers who were not suppose to be on duty to join some of us on duty.
“We also involved security operatives so that we can trace where these activities are being perpetrated and the culprit,” she added.
The NAFDAC Coordinator explained that the source of this vegetable oil cannot be verified even though the labels suggest that they were manufactured in Malaysia.
“The label is carrying Sarama 100percent pure cooking oil and this label was found with the marketers and distributing outlets.
“The surveillance team found kegs of vegetable oil and the distributors were placing stickers carrying Sarama pure vegetable oil from Malaysia and Tradekey pure vegetable oil from Apapa, Lagos
“The places have been locked down and samples of the oil are brought as evidence of what was discovered,” she said.
Ajayi disclosed that one of the marketers was investigated to have acquired over 2.2 million liters of unverified vegetable oil and selling it to the public.
She, however, urged the public to be vigilant whenever they are buying foods and drugs and make sure they carry the approved NAFDAC label, adding that products without registration are as good as fake.
She observed that some individuals go as far as faking NAFDAC registration numbers, adding that any product that is registered by NAFDAC will carry the registration number and the premise, explaining further that this means NAFDAC have certified the premise where it is being produced and the product have been sampled.
“The system is in place to ensure consistent quality and that is what our registration number signifies,” she explained.
The Kwara NAFDAC boss declared that the agency would take appropriate regulatory sanctions on individuals found guilty of violating the laws and that investigation would continue to uncover and shutdown more facilities.
