Sugar: FCCPC Issues Public Health Alert For Grupo Moreno, Terous, USI S.Joao, Others

 Following the reported circulation of substandard and unregistered sugar products in Nigerian markets, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), has informed the public about potential health risks.

FCCPC  noted that the low-quality sugar, primarily smuggled from Brazil, poses significant health risks to consumers and undermines the integrity of the country’s local sugar industry.

Team@orientactualmags.com learned that FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, who disclosed this in a statement he issued on Wednesday, added that investigations had uncovered several sugar brands, including Grupo Moreno, Terous, USI S.Joao, Alvean, and Arapora Bionergia, which have failed to meet required health and safety standards.

Ijagwu added that these illegally imported brands do not meet the mandatory Vitamin A fortification requirements set by Nigerian authorities, potentially putting consumers at risk of blindness and other health complications.

‘The products, which failed to meet mandatory Vitamin A fortification requirements, pose serious health risks to consumers, undermine the integrity of the local sugar industry, and contribute to price manipulation that harms the market’ the statement said.

FCCPC investigations across key regions, including the Southwest and Northeast, revealed that the smuggled sugar products lacked vital labelling information such as production and expiry dates, batch numbers, and, crucially, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control registration numbers.

The commission added that this lack of proper labelling showed that the products have not been tested for safety, heightening risks to Nigerian consumers while emphasizing the importance of Vitamin A in the diet, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women.

‘The absence of this fortification exposes Nigerian consumers to serious health risks, including blindness and increased susceptibility to infections’ the statement added while expressing concern about the economic impact of these illicit sugar products-Team@orientactualmags.com   Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com.  Thank you.