Adejola Adeyemi Crown
Lagos – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted healthcare providers, caregivers, and the general public over the sale of suspected counterfeit and unregistered CERELAC Mixed Fruits and Wheat products in Lagos State.
According to the alert, Nestle Nigeria Plc, the genuine Marketing Authorisation Holder for CERELAC Mixed Fruits and Wheat, received complaints about products purportedly manufactured by Nestlé Spain bearing Batch Code 308002910.
The complainant reported that the product emitted a strong odour, suggestive of possible contact with fuel, and preliminary checks indicated that the product had expired despite an expiry date of October 2026 printed on the can, suggesting date tampering.
Following the complaint, NAFDAC officers conducted a surveillance visit at Maxland Shopping Centre, 193 Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where the suspected counterfeit products were purchased. The items were confirmed to be unregistered and subsequently removed from sale by the agency.
Nestle Nigeria assisted in identifying the distinguishing features between genuine and counterfeit CERELAC products. One key indicator is the date marking format: counterfeit products use a hyphen (-) to separate the day from the year, while registered products use a slash (/).
NAFDAC urged healthcare professionals and consumers to remain vigilant and report any suspicion of substandard or falsified regulated products to the nearest NAFDAC office, via 0800-162-3322, or by emailing sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.
