The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has raised the alarm over increasingly sophisticated adulteration of palm oil being sold in markets across the state, warning consumers about potentially harmful substances being used to alter the product.
The agency’s warning followed a technical presentation at the Lagos State Food Safety Conference and Exhibition by Dr Nurah Oseni, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology, Auchi Polytechnic.
Presenting her paper, Palm Oil Adulteration: Emerging Risks, Detection Strategies and Regulatory Control, Oseni identified the use of potentially carcinogenic Sudan and Azo dyes to deepen the colour of palm oil as one of the emerging food safety concerns. Brandspur Brand News reports that other practices highlighted include mixing palm oil with recovered or recycled oils, including spent cooking oil.
The expert said the product is particularly vulnerable to adulteration because of its high trading volume, price differences and informal market practices. She also pointed to consumers’ preference for deep-red palm oil as an indication of quality, a perception that can be exploited by unscrupulous sellers.
Another concern is the use of multiple adulterants in the same product, which can make contamination more difficult to detect through basic quality checks.
For consumers who buy palm oil for everyday cooking, Oseni recommended visual inspection as an initial precaution. She noted that genuine palm oil can separate into layers, with the lower portion appearing orange to red-yellowish rather than uniformly deep red.
However, she stressed that appearance alone cannot establish whether palm oil is adulterated, meaning laboratory testing remains important for confirming suspected contamination.
LASCOPA General Manager, Afolabi Solebo, urged Lagos residents to remain vigilant and report suspected adulterated palm oil and unscrupulous traders through the agency’s official channels.
Solebo said market surveillance had been intensified across Lagos and warned that suspects found dealing in adulterated products would be arrested and prosecuted under relevant laws.
