FCCPC warns against sale of consumer goods with misleading labels

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has warned manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers against the circulation and sale of consumer goods with incomplete, deceptive or misleading labels.

The Commission issued the warning in a statement obtained on Wednesday, expressing concern over the increasing distribution of products that fail to meet required labelling standards.

“Market surveillance, routine inspections, and quality assurance activities have revealed products bearing misleading or deceptive information,” the FCCPC said.

It added that some products were being sold without essential details, including production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredient lists, allergen warnings, and country of origin.

According to the Commission, the affected products also failed to comply with labelling requirements established by relevant regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

The FCCPC said deceptive or incomplete labelling violates consumers’ right to information and could expose them to “significant health, safety, and economic risks.”

It directed all businesses involved in the manufacture, importation, distribution and sale of consumer goods to immediately review their inventories and withdraw non-compliant products from the market.

“Businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action,” the Commission warned.

The FCCPC also urged consumers to carefully examine product labels before making purchases and avoid goods with missing, illegible, altered, or misleading information.

The Commission advised consumers to report suspected cases of non-compliance through its official complaint channels, assuring that it would intensify market surveillance and enforcement in collaboration with relevant regulatory authorities.