FCCPC orders recall of products with misleading or incomplete labels

Nigeria's Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has mandated the withdrawal of consumer goods featuring incomplete, misleading, or deceptive labels from the market. This directive comes amid a noted increase in the circulation of products that do not adhere to established standards and regulations for product labeling.

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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 commission highlighted that market surveillance and inspections have uncovered numerous products bearing false information or missing critical details. These omissions include production and expiry dates, batch numbers, manufacturer identification, ingredient lists, allergen information, and country of origin, among other mandatory labeling requirements.

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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.

Under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, the FCCPC is empowered to ensure consumer safety by enforcing labeling compliance. The commission stressed that deceptive or incomplete labeling violates consumers' right to essential information needed for informed purchasing decisions and can expose them to health, safety, and economic risks.

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Businesses that continue to distribute or sell non-compliant products risk appropriate regulatory enforcement action.

Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and retailers are instructed to immediately review their inventories and remove non-compliant goods. The FCCPC warned that continued distribution or sale of such products would result in regulatory enforcement actions. Consumers are also advised to scrutinize product labels before buying and report any suspected non-compliance through the commission's official channels. The FCCPC plans to enhance its nationwide market surveillance and enforcement activities in collaboration with other regulatory bodies to bolster consumer protection.

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In light of the foregoing, consumers are advised to carefully examine product labels before purchase and avoid products with missing, illegible, altered, misrepresented, or poor-quality labels, as well as those bearing false claims or misleading information.