The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has warned manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers against producing or selling consumer goods with misleading, deceptive or incomplete labels.
Gatekeepers News reports that the commission issued the warning in a statement on Wednesday, following findings from its market surveillance, routine inspections and quality assurance activities.
According to the FCCPC, its inspections uncovered products with misleading or deceptive information, as well as goods lacking critical labelling details.
The commission said some of the affected products had no production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer information, ingredient lists, allergen details, country of origin and other mandatory labelling information.
“As empowered by the Act, the Commission is mandated to promote consumer safety by ensuring strict adherence to labelling requirements in line with applicable standards set by competent regulatory authorities, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), among others,” the statement said.
The FCCPC said deceptive, incomplete or misleading labelling undermines consumers’ right to access the information needed to make informed purchasing decisions and could expose them to health, safety and financial risks.
It therefore directed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw any consumer goods that fail to meet applicable labelling requirements.
The commission warned that businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products could face regulatory enforcement action.
Consumers were also advised to carefully inspect product labels before making purchases and avoid goods with missing, illegible, altered or poor-quality labels.
The FCCPC further urged consumers to be cautious of products carrying false claims or other misleading information.
“Suspected cases of non-compliance should be reported promptly through the Commission’s official complaint channels,” the statement added.
The commission said it would continue to intensify nationwide market surveillance and enforcement operations in collaboration with relevant regulatory agencies to ensure compliance with labelling standards and strengthen consumer protection.
