The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has alerted Nigerians to the circulation of suspected counterfeit and unregistered Cerelac Mixed Fruits and Wheat products in Lagos State.
This alert was issued in a public notice by the agency on its website.
Cerelac Mixed Fruits and Wheat is a widely consumed infant cereal in Nigeria, often used as a first food for babies
What the agency is saying
According to NAFDAC, the development followed a complaint received by Nestlé Nigeria Plc over the sale and distribution of the suspected counterfeit product, purportedly manufactured by Nestlé Spain.
Preliminary findings showed that the product emitted an unusual odour suggestive of possible contamination and had expired despite displaying a future expiry date of October 2026, indicating that the date had been tampered with.
The agency said its Post Marketing Surveillance team traced the product to a retail outlet in Okota, Lagos, where it was found on sale and subsequently removed from circulation.
- “On investigation, the Post Marketing Surveillance (PMS) Directorate Officers in Lagos State conducted a surveillance visit at Maxland Shopping Center, 193 Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos, where the product was purchased by the complainant. The suspected counterfeit and unregistered CERELAC Mixed Fruits and Wheat were found on sale at the premises and subsequently mopped up by the PMS officers,” the agency stated.
More insights
The key distinguishing feature is the date marking format.
- The unregistered product uses a hyphen (-) to separate the day from the year.
- The registered product uses a slash (/) to separate the day from the year.
It warned that counterfeit infant formula may lack essential nutrients and could contain harmful substances, posing serious health risks, including developmental issues or death in infants.
The agency has directed its officials nationwide to intensify surveillance and remove the product wherever found, while urging distributors, retailers, and caregivers to source products only from authorised suppliers.
Consumers and healthcare providers are advised to report any suspected counterfeit products to the nearest NAFDAC office or through the agency’s official reporting channels.
What you should know
In a recent safety alert, the agency flagged other baby foods like Aptamil and Cow & Gate infant and follow-on milk formulas, and a revalidated SMA Gold infant formula discovered in Kaduna State after altered expiry dates were linked to illness in a four-month-old infant.
- Another is on the circulation of falsified Dostinex 0.5mg tablets in Nigeria. The legitimate product is registered but not yet imported, while the fake batches, GG3470, LG8659, and GG2440 have no NAFDAC registration and may be unsafe
- In one major operation in Lagos, NAFDAC intercepted counterfeit malaria medicines valued at over N1.2 billion hidden in a warehouse, with the fake drugs illegally imported and disguised as other goods before being seized by agency operatives.
NAFDAC has also destroyed unwholesome and expired medical products valued at more than N15 billion in Ibadan, removing falsified and harmful drugs from circulation to protect public health.
