FCCPC orders recall of products with misleading labels

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, has directed manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers across Nigeria to immediately withdraw consumer goods with incomplete, misleading or deceptive labels from the market.

The directive was contained in a public advisory issued by the commission’s management and shared on its official X account on Tuesday.

According to the FCCPC, market surveillance and routine inspections revealed an increasing number of products being sold without essential labelling information required by law.

The commission stated that some products were found with misleading claims, while others lacked production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin and other mandatory details.

“Market surveillance, routine inspections, and quality assurance activities have revealed products bearing misleading or deceptive information, as well as products without production dates, expiry or best-before dates, batch numbers, manufacturer details, ingredient lists, allergen information, country of origin, and other mandatory labelling information,” the FCCPC said.

The commission noted that it is empowered by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, to enforce compliance with product labelling standards in collaboration with regulatory agencies such as NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

It warned that deceptive or incomplete product labels violate consumers’ right to accurate information needed to make informed purchasing decisions and could expose them to health, safety and economic risks.

“Accordingly, the Commission directs all manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers to immediately review their inventories and withdraw from sale any consumer goods that do not comply with applicable labelling requirements,” the statement added.

The FCCPC further warned that businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk regulatory sanctions.

The commission also advised consumers to carefully inspect product labels before purchase and avoid goods with missing, altered, illegible or misleading information.

It urged members of the public to report suspected cases of non-compliance through its official complaint channels, adding that it would intensify market surveillance and enforcement efforts nationwide to strengthen consumer protection.