LA SUITE APRÈS LA PUBLICITÉ

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control – NAFDAC has issued an urgent public alert following the discovery of counterfeit and unregistered Cerelac Mixed Fruits and Wheat products circulating in Lagos State markets.

The regulatory intervention was triggered by a formal complaint from Nestlé Nigeria Plc regarding the unauthorized sale of a product purportedly manufactured by Nestlé Spain. NAFDAC’s Post Marketing Surveillance – PMS team successfully traced the suspected items to a retail outlet in the Okota area of Lagos.

During the raid at the Maxland Shopping Center, officials discovered that the counterfeit cereal emitted an unusual odor, suggesting potential contamination despite carrying a tampered expiry date of October 2026.

A critical safety detail released by the agency highlights a subtle but life-saving distinction in the packaging’s date marking. The legitimate, registered Cerelac products use a slash (/) to separate the day, month, and year, whereas the counterfeit version uses a hyphen (-).

Caregivers are urged to scrutinize batch codes—specifically Batch 308002910—and physical packaging closely, as these unregistered formulas often lack essential vitamins and minerals necessary for infant development.

The health risks associated with these falsified products are severe, ranging from stunted growth and malnutrition to potential fatality due to harmful contaminants.

NAFDAC has mobilized its zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify nationwide surveillance and remove these hazardous products from the supply chain. This move follows a series of recent alerts involving other infant formulas, such as Aptamil, Cow & Gate, and SMA Gold, which were also flagged for contamination or revalidated expiry dates.

In addition to food safety, the agency’s recent operations have uncovered a broader trend of dangerous counterfeiting in Nigeria. Recent seizures include over ₦1.2 billion in fake malaria medications and ₦15 billion worth of expired medical products destroyed in Ibadan.

NAFDAC emphasizes that the integrity of any regulated product depends on strict compliance with regulatory standards and urges the public to source all infant nutrition and medicines only from authorized and licensed distributors.

Consumers, healthcare providers, and retailers are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious products to the nearest NAFDAC office or via the agency’s official digital reporting channels.

By maintaining a high level of caution, the public can assist in the ongoing effort to prevent substandard and falsified goods from reaching vulnerable populations, particularly infants whose health is most at risk from these fraudulent schemes.