…Urges Lagosians to Stay Vigilant
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has raised the alarm over increasingly sophisticated methods of palm oil adulteration, urging consumers across the state to exercise caution when purchasing the widely consumed product.
The warning was issued following a technical presentation at the Lagos State Food Safety Conference and Exhibition 2026, where a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, Dr Nurah Oseni, presented a paper titled, “Palm Oil Adulteration: Emerging Risks, Detection Strategies and Regulatory Control.”
Dr Oseni identified high trading volumes, consumers’ perception that deep-red colour indicates quality, price disparities, informal market practices and difficulties in detecting sophisticated adulterants as factors making palm oil particularly susceptible to adulteration.
She highlighted several emerging risks, including the use of potentially carcinogenic Sudan and Azo dyes to alter the colour of palm oil, the blending of palm oil with recovered or recycled oils such as spent cooking oil, and the use of multiple adulterants designed to evade basic quality checks.
The food technology expert also raised concerns about digital and traceability fraud, including the falsification of product labels and batch records.
According to her, the development underscores the need for stronger surveillance and improved detection mechanisms throughout the palm oil supply chain.
Visual checks not enough
Dr Oseni advised consumers to carry out simple visual checks as an initial precaution when purchasing palm oil.
She explained that genuine palm oil may separate into layers, with the lower layer typically appearing orange to reddish-yellow rather than uniformly deep red.
She, however, cautioned that visual inspection alone cannot confirm whether palm oil has been adulterated.
She advocated a tiered detection system comprising risk-based screening, rapid physicochemical and spectroscopic tests, and confirmatory laboratory analysis.
She also stressed the importance of proper sampling and chain-of-custody procedures in ensuring reliable results.
Five-step surveillance framework
To strengthen monitoring in Lagos, Dr Oseni proposed a five-step surveillance framework — 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.
The approach, she noted, would enable authorities to identify high-risk areas and products, screen suspected samples, confirm cases through laboratory analysis and take appropriate regulatory action.
LASCOPA urges consumers to report suspected adulteration
The General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of LASCOPA, Afolabi Solebo, Esq., reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to protecting consumers from unsafe and substandard products.
Solebo urged Lagos residents to remain vigilant when purchasing palm oil and to report suspected cases of adulteration and unscrupulous trading practices through the Agency’s official channels.
He said the Agency was intensifying market surveillance across the state as part of efforts to safeguard consumers and ensure compliance with food safety standards.
The LASCOPA chief encouraged Lagosians to “shine their eyes” and promptly report products they suspect may be adulterated, stressing the importance of consumer vigilance in complementing regulatory efforts.
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