The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration says that high fat milk powder (FFMP) is “recognized” and approved for consumption in Nigeria. However, the agency has not commented on how the product has been misleadingly sold and advertised to Nigerians as milk.
The agency said this on Thursday in response to a Newslodgeinvestigation into FFMP's dominance in the Nigerian dairy market.
The investigation titled 'Milk or imitation: Nigeria's dairy market flooded with substandard products' revealed that FFMP, which is produced by mixing skimmed milk powder with vegetable fat, is presented as milk, although it is only considered an alternative or a dairy product.
In a statement, the agency said that full-fat milk is identified in the Milk and Dairy Products Regulations 2021 for Nigeria along with different types of milk such as whole milk powder and skimmed milk.
“Filled milk is described as a blend of skimmed milk and non-fat milk (vegetable fat),” NAFDAC said.
He added that “the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a recognized international body that sets food standards, has, in its collection of published standards, the 'Standard for a mixture of skimmed milk and vegetable fat powder' intended for direct consumption or further processing.”
NAFDAC also stated that it “will continue to carry out its mandate in the best interest of the public and will not register products for use in Nigeria without due regulatory diligence in our bid to safeguard the health of the public.”
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The agency only decided to address one point that is not in dispute: that FFMP is recognized in national regulation is not in doubt, and the Newslodgereport emphasized this point.
However, the issue raised in the report, which NAFDAC did not address, is how FFMP is sold and advertised as milk when it does not contain the original milk fat, an essential ingredient.
According to the report, milk fat is replaced by vegetable fat, often from palm or coconut oil.
Our findings
FFMP is a cheap milk substitute that has been exported to Nigeria and other West African countries continuously for years. We found that Ireland continuously exports FFMP to the region, with Nigeria being one of its main markets.
Our research showed that in Europe, many of the products are not manufactured, classified or sold as milk. In these countries, they are sold to businesses who use them only to produce other dairy products, such as yoghurt, cheese and ice cream.
For the investigation, PREMIUM wrote to the press officer of the European Commission's Agriculture spokesperson services, Thérèse Lerebours, who revealed that in the EU FFMP is known as fat-filled powder, excluding the “M” because it lacks the essential compositions of milk and as such cannot be described as such.
However, according to the NAFDAC statement, the FFMP is recognized in Nigeria without providing further details.
Contrasting food standards
This implies that Nigeria's nutritional standards differ substantially from those in the EU.
This is not the first time that NAFDAC's standard has come into striking contrast with that of the EU.
In April, an investigation revealed that Nestlé, a multinational food and beverage company, had shipped substandard infant food products to Nigeria.
According to the report, samples of Nido and Cerelac from Nigeria and other low-income countries were sent to Belgium for laboratory testing. The results showed that Nestlé was adding sugar and honey to infant milk and cereal products sold to Nigeria, in contravention of international guidelines.
Cerelac from Nigeria had the second highest sugar content of the products tested, at 6.8g per serving.
Responding to this, NAFDAC said its standard allows for the addition of a specific amount of glucose, syrup or honey in cereal-based foods for infants and toddlers.
NAFDAC said the country's food standard, guided by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and more specifically the Nigerian Industrial Standards (NIS), sets the criteria for cereal-based processed foods for infants and young children.
He said the rules “allow the addition of sucrose, fructose, glucose, glucose syrup or honey to cereal products that are or should be prepared for consumption with milk or other appropriate nutritive liquids.”
READ ALSO: RESEARCH: Milk or imitation: Nigeria's dairy market a hub for inferior EU products
Not advertised as an alternative
Meanwhile, NAFDAC Director General Moji Adeyeye earlier told Newslodgethat FFMP is not considered milk but dairy alternatives or products.
“FFMP products are not classified as milk in the same way as whole milk powder or skim milk powder,” he said.
However, we found that FFMP is not advertised or presented to the public as an alternative to milk.
The report notes that consumers are unaware of the range of powdered milks and how they differ. Most consumers are not aware of instant powdered milk as a milk alternative or a dairy product as it is not advertised as such.
“What is unknown to the vast majority of Nigerian consumers is that in Europe, where most of these products are manufactured, they are not classified as milk. The same is true in Nigeria, where the regulatory body stated that FFMP products are not classified as milk in the same way as whole milk powder or skimmed milk powder,” the report reads in part.
In addition, we found widespread misinformation about the FFMP in the country, especially among traders.
We report that some retailers consider FFMP to be good for weight loss and leading a healthy lifestyle. Others believe that it was specifically developed for children.
“Some traders believe that whole milk powder (WMP), unlike whole milk powder, has no fat content at all. Others claim that WMP was originally intended for children, but was taken up and consumed by adults when the price of dairy products soared due to inflation in the country.
“But the claim about fat content is not true,” the report concluded.