The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has warned Nigerians against using Goya oil sold in PET plastic bottles, describing the products as fake and unsafe for consumption.
Okay News reports that the warning was issued on Friday during a media parley at the agency’s Investigation and Enforcement Directorate office in Lagos.
NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Dr Martins Iluyomade, said Goya oil sold in plastic bottles was not licensed by the agency.
“Goya oil sold in plastic bottles is fake. The only approved product is imported in original bottles by authorised dealers,” Iluyomade told journalists.
He disclosed that the agency uncovered large-scale production of fake Goya oil at the Oke-Arin market in Idumota, Lagos.
The counterfeit product was made by mixing burnt palm oil with colouring before repackaging and selling it as Goya oil to unsuspecting consumers.
“We discovered a factory producing fake Goya oil. Palm oil, colouring, stoves and empty bottles were recovered at the site,” he said.
Iluyomade warned that many Nigerians were unknowingly using the harmful product packaged in PET bottles.
He cautioned religious organisations against allowing the sale of PET-bottled Goya oil during gatherings, stressing that offenders would be prosecuted.
The NAFDAC director urged Nigerians to report suspected counterfeiting activities to the nearest NAFDAC office for immediate action.
Iluyomade further disclosed that a suspect, Moses Nelson, was arrested for distributing adulterated and counterfeit alcoholic drinks, with empty exotic alcohol bottles, sachets, and PET-bottled alcohol recovered from his residence in Badagry, Lagos State.
He warned counterfeiters to desist, assuring that the agency would pursue those endangering public health for quick profit.
Counterfeiting remains a significant problem in Nigeria, with studies showing high prevalence rates of substandard and falsified medicines.
Last year, the Federal Government launched a Federal and Regional Task Force under NAFDAC to tackle fake drugs and unwholesome foods.
In six months, NAFDAC destroyed over N120 billion worth of fake, expired, and unregistered products in a nationwide crackdown.
The agency withdrew, suspended, and cancelled 101 pharmaceutical products, including antimalarials, cardiovascular medicines, insulin, and diabetes drugs.
It seized expired, unregistered, and substandard food and cosmetics worth over N350 million in Kano State.
NAFDAC issued alerts on products like falsified Ginny Non-Dairy Creamer, counterfeit Accu-Chek blood glucose test strips, and fake Kiss Condoms circulating in the market.
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