A week after issuing a safety alert, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has declared the Nigerian-made NIVEA Black & White Roll-On safe for public use.
In a recent statement, the agency said its investigation showed that Nivea Black and White Roll-on Deodorant manufactured in Nigeria does not contain any banned chemicals.
The hazardous chemical said to have been found in the recalled product lots is called 2-(4-tert-butylbenzylpropionaldehyde (BMHCA).
Backstory
The agency had previously warned against using NIVEA Black and White Invisible body deodorant, one of the products in the Nivea Black & White Invisible series manufactured by Beiersdorf, a German multinational company.
European legislation publicly banned the ingredient 2-(4-tert-butylbenzylpropionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products in March 2022.
NAFDAC had said that the product contained the chemical BMHCA, which is banned in cosmetic products because it could cause skin irritation and also affect the reproductive health of its users or the fetus.
The agency revealed that European authorities withdrew the product for containing the chemical.
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“The recalled Nivea product is said to contain 2-(4-tert-butylbenzylpropionaldehyde (BMHCA), a chemical substance banned in cosmetic products due to its ability to cause damage to the reproductive system, harm the health of the fetus and also as skin irritation and burns to users,” reads part of the statement.
The agency also warned traders in possession of this product to stop selling it immediately and present it to the nearest NAFDAC office for further examination.
New decision
However, in its recent notification on the product, the agency said that products manufactured in Nigeria do not contain the banned chemical.
“Recent investigation shows that Nivea Black and White Roll-on Deodorant manufactured in Nigeria does not contain the non-compliant ingredient (BMHCA),” NAFDAC said.
The agency also referenced the statement issued by Beiersdorf in response to its security alert.
“It should be recalled that following the publication of the notification by the agency, the manufacturers of the product, Beiersdorf, issued a statement in which they assured their esteemed customers that the batch number 93529610 in question had not been marketed in Nigeria and therefore Therefore, Beiersdorf, the owner of the NIVEA brand, never remembered it as a legal manufacturer,” NAFDAC said.
The manufacturer speaks
According to Beiersdorf, the products have been out of circulation since 2022, so they are not in circulation in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.
The multinational cosmetics company said production of NIVEA Black & White invisible roll-on deodorant was suspended in February 2022 “before the BMHCA ban and is fully compliant with EU cosmetic regulations.”
Beiersdorf's statement reads in part: “Under current European legislation, the use of the ingredient 2-(4-tert-butylbenzylpropionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products has been banned in European markets as of March 1, 2022.”