NAFDAC alerts Nigerians over fake Cerelac products in Lagos

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has issued a public alert over the circulation of counterfeit and unregistered Cerelac Mixed Fruits and Wheat products in Lagos.

In a statement shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, the agency disclosed that Nestlé Nigeria Plc—the legitimate Marketing Authorisation Holder (MAH)—reported a complaint involving suspected counterfeit products. The items were allegedly labeled as being manufactured by Nestlé Spain and carry the Batch Code 308002910.

It said that Nestle Nigeria reported that the complainant described the counterfeit product as emitting an odour suggestive of possible contact with fuel.

NAFDAC said that a preliminary review of the product by Nestle Nigeria indicated that it had expired, in spite of the container displaying an expiry date of 10-2026, which suggested that the date coding had been tampered with (revalidated).

Nestle Cerelac Mixed Fruits and Wheat is a nutritious infant cereal, designed to be a delicious first food for infants.

NAFDAC said that its Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Directorate Officers in Lagos conducted a surveillance visit to Maxland Shopping Centre, 193 Ago Palace, Okota, where the product was purchased by the complainant.

It added that the suspected counterfeit and unregistered Cerelac were found on sale at the premises and subsequently mopped up, while Nestle assisted in identifying the distinguishing features between registered and unregistered products.

According to the regulatory agency, Nestle revealed that the unregistered product used a hyphen (-) to separate the day from the year, while the registered product used a slash (/) to separate the day from the year.

t is important to note that Nestle Nigeria is not aware of the channels through which the products are supplied into the country.

“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of the sale of substandard and falsified regulated products to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng,” NAFDAC said.

The agency warned that counterfeit formula often lacked essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals, leading to stunted growth or developmental issues.

It said that such a formula might also contain contaminants that might lead to severe health consequences to infants or even death.

NAFDAC reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health, adding that it would continue surveillance activities to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of all NAFDAC-regulated products circulating in Nigeria.

It said that all zonal directors of the agency and state coordinators had been directed to carry out surveillance and mop up the revalidated product, if found within the zones and states.

The agency urged distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers to exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain, to avoid the distribution, sale, and use of fake products. (NAN)