NAFDAC, Dairy Stakeholders Move to Tackle Misleading Milk Labels in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and dairy industry stakeholders have called for stricter clarity in milk product labelling to help Nigerians distinguish between dairy milk, creamers and fat-filled milk products.

The stakeholders said unclear product classification and labelling could mislead consumers about what they are buying, including the ingredients and nutritional value of products sold in the Nigerian market.

The call was made at a national dairy roundtable in Lagos on October 16, convened by the Danish Dairy Board, the Royal Danish Consulate General and Dairy Business Partners as part of activities marking World Food Day.

NAFDAC’s Head of Nutrition, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Chinyere Ikejiofor, said food labels must not misrepresent the nature or composition of products.

“The fundamental principle of food labelling, particularly for milk and dairy products, is to ensure that consumers are not misled,” she said.

Ikejiofor said pre-packaged food labels must contain essential information, including product names, ingredients, production and expiry dates, storage conditions, manufacturer details, country of origin and batch identification. Nutritional information is also required under the agency’s current framework, she added.

The meeting brought together representatives of NAFDAC, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Livestock Development, alongside dairy businesses and development partners.

Participants called for consistent definitions and classification of dairy products, creamers and fat-filled milk, as well as better coordination among regulatory agencies.

Minister of Livestock Development Idi Mukhtar Maiha said a transparent regulatory framework was necessary to protect consumers, promote investment and ensure fair competition in the dairy industry.

He said the sector could contribute to food security, employment, rural development and economic growth, but that increasing local milk production alone would not be enough.

Maiha also stressed the importance of quality assurance in tackling counterfeit and substandard products that could threaten public and animal health.

Lars Jensen, senior project manager at the Danish Dairy Board, said accurate labels would enable consumers to understand product ingredients and nutritional information and make purchasing decisions based on their needs and purchasing power.

The stakeholders said stronger regulatory coordination and clearer labelling standards were needed to reduce confusion and improve consumer protection in Nigeria’s dairy market.