The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized three petrol tanker trucks in Apapa, Lagos, for allegedly transporting crude edible vegetable oil.
The agency expressed serious concerns about the health risks associated with this practice, highlighting that using petrol tankers for edible oil transport could lead to dangerous chemical contamination.
According to NAFDAC, the vegetable oil had been “trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot,” raising alarms over the safety of the oil. The agency warned that the residue from previous petrol transportation could mix with the oil, posing a significant public health threat.
The Director-General of NAFDAC has responded to this incident by forming a committee to develop strict guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oil in Nigeria. This move is part of the agency’s broader efforts to protect consumers from unsafe food practices.
NAFDAC emphasized the importance of public vigilance, urging citizens to “report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products.” The agency assured the public of its dedication to ensuring the safety of food products in the country.
The seized tankers were escorted to a processing facility in Sango-Ota, where the crude soy oil was handed over to the Southwest Zonal Office of NAFDAC for further regulatory action. This seizure is part of NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to enforce food safety regulations and maintain continuous surveillance across the country.
“We are committed to strict enforcement and continuous surveillance to ensure the safety of all food products in the country,” NAFDAC stated, reaffirming its commitment to protecting public health.