FCCPC warns importers and manufacturers against unsafe substitutes and misleading consumers

The commission cautioned against using unsafe substitutes and misleading consumers, even as rising production costs put pressure on businesses. Tunji Bello, the Executive Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, delivered this warning at a stakeholder engagement organized by the South-West Zonal Office in Lagos. He emphasized that bread and other baked products are consumed daily by millions of Nigerians, making food safety and consumer confidence critical responsibilities for operators.

Bello stated that consumers rely on producers for proper hygiene, appropriate ingredients, accurate product representation, and promised quantity. He stressed that food safety cannot be compromised for profit and that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 grants consumers the right to goods that are reasonably suitable for their intended purposes, of good quality, free of defects, and compliant with standards. While acknowledging economic pressures, Bello asserted that these realities do not justify practices that endanger consumers, such as resorting to unsafe substitutes, harmful additives, poor-quality ingredients, compromised hygiene, or manipulated expiry information.

He also warned against misleading consumers through product labels, advertisements, and other marketing forms, hig