Lagos warns residents over fake palm oil in markets - Punch Newspapers
Palm oil. Photo credit: Bulk suppliers
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency has raised the alarm over increasingly sophisticated adulteration of palm oil, urging residents to be vigilant when purchasing the widely consumed product. The agency also said it was intensifying market surveillance across the state to protect consumers from unsafe and substandard products. This was disclosed in a statement released by the Lagos State Government on Facebook on Monday, following a technical presentation at the Lagos State Food Safety Conference and Exhibition 2026 by a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, Dr Nurah Oseni. Oseni, who presented a paper titled, “Palm Oil Adulteration: Emerging Risks, Detection Strategies and Regulatory Control,” said palm oil was particularly vulnerable to adulteration because of its high trading volume, consumers’ association of deep-red colour with quality, price differences and informal market practices. She said, “Palm oil is particularly vulnerable to adulteration because of its high trading volume, consumers’ association of deep-red colour with quality, price differences, informal market practices, and challenges in detecting sophisticated adulterants.” Photo Credit: Lagos State Government The lecturer identified several emerging risks, including the use of potentially carcinogenic Sudan and Azo dyes to alter the colour of palm oil. She also raised concerns about the blending of palm oil with recovered or recycled oils, including spent cooking oil, as well as the use of multi-adulterant mixtures designed to evade basic quality checks. Oseni further warned about digital and traceability fraud involving falsified product labels and batch records.See more Punch stories on Google.Add Punch on Google She stressed the need for stronger surveillance and improved detection mechanisms across the supply chain. The lecturer advised consumers to use simple visual checks as an initial precaution when purchasing palm oil. She explained that palm oil might separate into layers, with the lower layer typically appearing orange to red-yellowish rather than uniformly deep red. She, however, cautioned that visual checks alone could not confirm adulteration. Oseni advocated a tiered detection system involving risk-based screening, rapid physicochemical and spectroscopic tests and confirmatory laboratory analysis. She said the system should be supported by proper sampling and chain-of-custody procedures. The lecturer also proposed a five-step surveillance framework for Lagos comprising “Risk Map, Sample, Screen, Confirm and Act”. She said the framework should be supported by an adulteration intelligence database and coordinated responsibilities among processors, traders, laboratories, regulators, researchers and consumers. Meanwhile, the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting consumers from unsafe and substandard products. Solebo urged Lagos residents to “shine their eyes” and report suspected adulterated palm oil and unscrupulous traders through the agency’s official channels. He said, “We urge Lagosians to shine their eyes and report suspected adulterated palm oil and unscrupulous traders through the Agency’s official channels.” Solebo added that market surveillance would be intensified across the state. Samuel Omotere Samuel Omotere is an experienced journalist covering human interest stories, pop culture, and digital trends. He combines his background as a language graduate with a focus on sustainable digital storytelling.
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