FCCPC Advises Nigerian Bakeries on Product Safety and Quality Reviews

Operators in Nigeria's bakery and confectionery sector received a stern directive from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to prioritize product safety and conduct thorough reviews of their business practices. The commission emphasized the critical need for businesses to ensure the delivery of safe products, coupled with regular scrutiny of ingredients, production processes, marketing information, and complaint handling mechanisms.

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I, therefore, ask every operator here to return to your business after this engagement and examine your product from beginning to end.

During a stakeholder engagement in Lagos, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman, Mr. Tunji Bello, urged every operator to meticulously examine their products from start to finish. He highlighted five key areas demanding attention: the quality and sourcing of ingredients, the hygiene and controls within production processes, the truthfulness of marketing representations to consumers, the strengthening of traceability and complaint handling systems, and preparedness for potential issues.

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Make quality part of your everyday operations. Treat safety as non-negotiable. Be truthful with consumers and give them what you have promised.

Bello stressed that quality should be integrated into daily operations and safety treated as non-negotiable. He urged businesses to be truthful with consumers and deliver on promises, advocating for compliance to be a core business practice. "If we can establish that culture across this industry, consumers will be safer, responsible businesses will be stronger and public confidence in the sector will grow," he stated. A useful self-assessment question posed was whether a producer would confidently serve their product to their own family, urging them to maintain that standard if the answer is yes, and address any hesitation if not.

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If we can establish that culture across this industry, consumers will be safer, responsible businesses will be stronger and public confidence in the sector will grow.