NAFDAC intercepts petrol tankers transporting vegetable oil in Lagos

The officials of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) have seized three petrol tankers used to convey edible vegetable oil in the Apapa area of Lagos State.

NAFDAC disclosed this in a post shared on X on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.

The agency said the oil had reportedly been trans-loaded into the tankers from an edible oil depot.

It stated: “Concerned about the potential health risks due to chemical contamination from the tankers’ previous use for transporting petrol, NAFDAC officials escorted the tankers to a processing facility in Sango-Ota.

“The crude soy oil was then handed over to the Southwest Zonal Office of NAFDAC for further regulatory action.

“The Director-General of NAFDAC has since established a committee to develop guidelines and a code of ethics for the marketing and distribution of edible vegetable oils in Nigeria.”

NAFDAC further urged the public to report any suspicious or unwholesome practices related to food and regulated products, adding: “We affirm our commitment to strict enforcement and continuous surveillance to protect public health.”

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Speaking in an attached video showing one of the seized tankers, a NAFDAC official said credible information revealed that the same tankers used to load vegetable oil had been used to load petroleum products.

“This is a public health issue that requires NAFDAC’s attention. That was why we immediately went to that area and we caught a truck being loaded,” the official stated.

He said the suspects were apprehended, adding that the tankers were seized for further investigation.

The official said the tankers can’t load vegetable oil “and at the same time we are seeing tags of petrol and diesel on them”.

The NAFDAC official added that an investigation would inform the suspects of “the dangers inherent in mixing petroleum products which we know are carcinogenic, not safe for human consumption.”

The Star