Concerns grow over rising alteration of expiry dates on foods, medications

The menace of selling expired food products in open markets, malls and other public places is raising serious concern on public health, particularly, the safety of Nigerians, who inadvertently consume such items. Sadly, the sharp practice of altering expiry dates on products is aggravating this menace, as hapless consumers, including children, face food borne illnesses and untimely death, GBENGA AKINFENWA reports.

Spmetime in December 2025, Idowu Olalekan visited one of the popular supermarkets on Ekoro road, Abule Egba area of Lagos State to purchase his favourite yoghurt for the family.

Since it was festive season, he decided to give a female church member the juicy and popular brand to have a taste. Immediately she opened the bottle, the first thing she sighted was a maggot on the cap.

In its wiggly and pulsing motion, the maggot, with its tiny hooks, gripped the surface of the cover. She immediately lost appetite and drew Olalekan’s attention to what she saw.

Typical of a normal human being, he abandoned the four remaining bottles, with the fear that others would also contain maggots.

When the expiry date of the affected bottle and others were checked, it was discovered that the yoghurts still had over two months of shelf life before it expires, hence something must have gone wrong with the content now containing maggot.

A similar scenario was recorded in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

A student of one of the tertiary institutions in the city, Tutu Adeola, bought some packs of biscuits from an open market.

Her intention was to keep them for weeks and munch whenever she returned from school. The first one she took had a very horrible taste that she was forced to spit it.

Out of anger she hurriedly gave out others with the same bad taste to her friends the same day, during their tutorial class.

The advice by one of her course mates was to check the expiry date. All the packs had the same date of four months to expiration. Surprisingly, while the expiry dates were still intact, the contents had expired.

Olalekan and Adeola’s experiences are just two of the numerous cases of expired products allowed to remain on shelves across the country, a situation that has suddenly become a common place.

Investigations and reports show that the experience is becoming common across the country probably owing to the economic downturn.

From road side hawkers, to kiosks, street shops, open markets, and even supermarkets, the sharp practice of selling expired products is becoming noticed.

Some incidents have been reported while others have been swept under the carpet.

The Guardian investigation revealed that the unfortunate aspect of this practice is the deliberate consumption of expired products by many Nigerians, who may either be oblivious of the health implications or are desperate to put something in their stomach due to poverty.

It is gathered that many producers, especially those in the consumable goods industry, have devised a ‘devilish’ means of altering expiry dates on their products.

The same goes for vendors and hawkers, who are now in the habit of playing a ‘fast one’ on hapless customers.

Several viral videos have shown how these dates are altered without anyone detecting. In one of the videos, a cellotape was used to wipe off the expiry dates of some branded sausage rolls, while in another video, spirit was applied to the bottom of can beers, and with the use of a tissue paper, the date was cleaned off and a new date was pasted with a stamp-like object.

It was also observed that while it is mandatory to put expiry dates on products for safety purposes, a good number of products are in circulation across markets in major cities such as Lagos, Onitsha, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu, Kano and others that have no expiry dates, yet they still find their way into homes, schools and other places where they are consumed or used.

Expiry date is the date printed on a product, indicating when it is no longer safe for use or consumption. It’s usually labeled as ‘Best Before’ or ‘Use By’ and signifies the period during which the manufacturer guarantees the quality and safety of the product.

According to a food system consultant, Dr Olapeju Phorbee, eating expired and unsafe food poses a greater health risk than temporary hunger. Phorbee, who underscored the possibility of long-term harm to health by expired foods, said individuals who received such items, often distributed as economic relief or palliatives, were being exposed to health risks.

“If you buy and consume processed food, please check labels and inspect the expiry dates. If the food has expired, that means it is unsafe. Expired foods simply mean foods that the date put on them by the manufacturer, has expired. It also means that the wholesomeness of that food is expired. Anything after that date, it is risky to eat such food.”

Experts have listed health problems associated with consuming spoiled or expired food as ranging from minor digestive issues to serious bacterial infections. The harmful bacteria, mold, or toxins in the foods can cause poisoning and other serious illnesses that may lead to death.

According to reports, the main risk in eating expired food, specially canned food, is that of developing botulism bacteria.

It can be the result of sterilisation of food not being perfect, or container failure allowing pathogens to enter and contaminate the food.

The experts raised the alarm that it is increasingly becoming a daily phenomenon in the country today for Nigerians to consume food items that have passed their expiry dates, because of the belief that such items are still in good state or because their prices have been slashed. But is it safe to eat expired food?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances causes more than 200 diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to cancers. It also creates a vicious cycle of disease and malnutrition, particularly affecting infants, young children, elderly and the sick.

The global body stated that food safety, nutrition and food security are inextricably linked, revealing that an estimated 600 million – almost one in every10 people in the world – fall ill after eating contaminated food and 420, 000 die yearly.

“About $110b is lost each year in productivity and medical expenses resulting from unsafe food in low- and middle-income countries. Children under five years of age carry 40 per cent of the food borne disease burden, with 125 000 deaths every year.

“Food borne diseases impede socioeconomic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism, and trade. Food safety is a shared responsibility among different national authorities and requires a multi-sectoral, one health approach,” WHO said.

A consultant pharmacist, who is the Director of Programmes, Nigeria Academy of Pharmacy, Dr. Lolu Ojo, said the development had heightened the risks of treatment failures, adverse drug reactions, food poisoning, long-term health effects, and death, among others.

‘The dangers of consumption of unwholesome food and drinks should not be underestimated too. It could lead to food poisoning. Materials contaminated by bacterial, viral, or parasitic particles can cause food poisoning, leading to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Repeated consumption of unwholesome food and drinks can lead to chronic health issues such as liver or kidney damage, and increased risk of certain cancers,” he explained.

Ojo, who is the Managing Director/CEO, Merit Healthcare Limited, described the situation as alarming, noting that the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and other regulatory agencies should be held accountable because of their role of ensuring safety of drugs and food products in the country.

According to a clinical nutritionist and public health advocate, Fiyinfoluwa Odukoya, expiry dates are not just labels but a reflection of the period within which a food remains safe, stable, and nutritionally reliable.

He said: “Once that period passes, several things can happen. First, there is an increased risk of microbial growth. Harmful bacteria, moulds, or toxins can develop, especially in perishable foods. These are not always visible or detectable by smell.

“Secondly, there is nutrient loss. Vitamins, especially vitamin C and some B vitamins, degrade over time. So, even if the food looks fine, its nutritional value may be significantly reduced.

“Thirdly, there is the risk of food poisoning. Expired foods can lead to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, hospitalisation. When producers alter dates or traders remove labels, it removes the consumer’s ability to make safe choices, and that is a serious public health concern.”

Odukoya who noted that there is no precise or centralised data specifically tracking losses from the consumption of expired foods alone, stated that food borne illnesses form a significant public health issue, and they contribute to increased healthcare costs, loss of productivity due to illness, and burden on already stretched health systems.

“The key message is simple: If the safety of a food is uncertain, it is better not to consume it. The risk is not worth the potential health consequences,” Odukoya advised.

The Guardian investigations revealed that unwholesome and expired food and drinks are finding their way into shelves across markets daily at the expense of hapless Nigerians.

February 10, the agency uncovered what it described as one of the worst counterfeit medicine operations in recent years, seizing over 10 million doses of fake and banned drugs hidden in warehouses in Lagos State.

The illicit products, valued at over N3billion, were recovered from multiple warehouse structures located around the Trade Fair–Navy axis of the state.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement and Chairman of the Federal Task Force on Fake and Substandard Products, Martins Iluyomade, told journalists that the discovery followed intelligence gathered during a training held on February 3.

In the same month, the agency sealed 18 warehouses in Bida, Niger State after discovering expired food and beverage products worth over N100million.
The action was taken during a raid by the agency’s investigation and enforcement team, acting on credible intelligence.

Items recovered during the operation include about 80,000 packets of expired non-alcoholic drinks, 5,000 packets of dairy milk, 16,000 packets of bottled water, 28 cartons of pasta, and other expired products. Some of the items were said to have already been packaged for distribution. Before this period, December 2024 to be precise, the agency announced that seized counterfeit products worth N120b were destroyed by its enforcement team within six months.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency destroyed expired, unregistered drugs worth N11billion in Ibadan, Oyo State.

“In November, the agency seized N300million worth of fake medicines during a raid of Tyre Village and the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State. Officers of the agency also bust counterfeit alcohol packaging centres and seized items worth N2billion in Lagos. This followed reports of illegal revalidation of expired alcoholic beverages at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos,” she said.

Adeyeye added that in Nasarawa State, Karu Market, to be precise, bags of repackaged expired rice worth over N5billion were seized during a raid. “Also, in Nasarawa State, the agency sealed a factory and eight shops for packaging and distributing counterfeit rice, valued at approximately N5billion.”

At Wuse and Garki markets in Abuja, the agency said it confiscated over 1,600 bags of counterfeit rice worth about N5billion. Simultaneously, a total of 150 shops at Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State, were shut down during an operation by the agency.

As the mop-up operation was going on in the FCT and Nasarawa State, NAFDAC carried out a two-day raid in the Aba Market on December 16 and 17, 2024. During the operation, the agency said it uncovered large-scale production and distribution of fake and expired goods, including beverages, carbonated drinks, wines, spirits, vegetable oils, and revalidated food items such as noodles, powdered milk, and yoghurt with a market value of N5billion.

When The Guardian reached out to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), it said the commission is employing a multi-pronged surveillance, investigation and enforcement strategy to control the manufacturing, distribution and sale of expired products, through broad and targeted surveillance, investigation and enforcement; engaging businesses and consumers; joint regulatory action; and deterrence through sanctions.

The Deputy Director, Surveillance and Investigation, Mr. Marvin Nadah, said it conducts both random and intelligence-
based inspections of factories, warehouses, open markets and supermarkets nationwide.

“When expired or hazardous products are discovered, they are seized, evacuated, and destroyed in an environmentally safe manner. This is enabled by Section 18 and Section 27 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA, 2018). This is evidenced by over 30 routine surveillance and investigation activities carried out by the head office in the FCT, the six zonal offices, and four state offices in April alone, a number of which led to enforcement actions across all regions of Nigeria.

“In line with our goal to encourage proactive compliance, and not just punitive action, the FCCPC engages directly with businesses, market leaders and trade associations to educate the relevant parties on business practices that guarantee the safety of manufactured goods and the wellbeing of consumers.

“We also take several measures to educate the consumers on a wide range of topics that relate to their rights as consumers. These powers are granted to the commission by Section 17 (j), (n), (o), (p) of the FCCPA, 2018.

“Section 17 (w) empowers the commission to work in close collaboration with sector regulators such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and other relevant sector regulators. The industry’s specific expertise of these agencies combined with the Commission’s broad enforcement powers granted by the FCCPA, 2018 provides protection of consumers from harmful products.”

Nadah added that businesses found to be engaging in or complicit in the manufacturing, distribution or sale of expired or harmful goods are subject to substantial administrative penalties, as empowered by the Administrative Penalty Regulation of the Commission. “The offending parties face penalties, including but not limited to fines, sealing of premises, and in egregious cases, prosecution. These powers are granted to the commission by Sections 17, 18, 150 in addition to other sections of the FCCPA, 2018, giving us a strong legal backbone to carry out enforcement actions against erring companies.

He stressed that the commission’s monitoring architecture is built on multiple layers of both proactive and reactive intelligence – digital complaint platform; market surveillance database; supply chain traceability; and voluntary recall systems.

To nip this menace in the bud, the commission urged the public to adopt a culture of vigilance, noting that consumers should pay close attention to items they are purchasing and should take steps to make sure they keep themselves and other consumers safe.

He said: “Ensure that the package of the product in question does not appear damaged or altered. In addition to this, consumers should always check expiry dates, and if the date appears to be altered, unclear, or overlapped, the consumer should refrain from buying the product and then proceed to the next steps.

“Gather evidence safely and discreetly – take clear photos of the damaged, altered or expired product on the shelf, capturing the batch number and expiry date if visible. Note the exact location, shop name, and time. Consumers should note that their safety is our priority; therefore the consumer may choose to opt out of this step if the photo evidence cannot be captured safely or discreetly.

“Don’t buy and don’t stay silent – patronising businesses that engage in unsafe practices incentivises the businesses to continue putting consumers at risk, therefore consumers should reject the product and also alert the shop manager. In many cases, removing an expired item from the shelf and handing it directly to the manager prevents another person from buying it.

“Report immediately – consumers should submit a formal complaint to the FCCPC through any of the following channels; Telephone: 08056002020 or 08056003030, Email: contact@fccpc.gov.ng, or via the Online Portal: complaints.fccpc.gov.ng

“Whistleblower Protection – the FCCPA, 2018 provides robust protection for whistleblowers. We treat all complaints with strict confidentiality. No reprisal by any business or official against a consumer will be tolerated, and the FCCPC is prepared to take swift and decisive action against any such intimidation.

“In conclusion, the battle against expired or harmful goods is one that is of utmost importance to the Commission, and we remain dedicated to protecting the rights, the well-being and economic interest of Nigerian consumers.”

Just weeks ago, the Lagos State government, through the Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA), issued a strong advisory to Lagos residents to exercise caution and vigilance in their transactions to avoid exploitation and unsafe practices.

A statement signed by the General Manager, Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency, Afolabi Solebo, emphasised the importance of verifying product quality and authenticity before purchase. Essentially, the state government urged Lagos residents to check expiry dates, especially on food, beverages, and pharmaceuticals; avoid patronising unregistered or suspicious vendors, as well as demand receipts and have proper documentation for all transactions.

Lagos government also warned service providers and traders against engaging in unfair trade practices or exploitation of consumers, promising that the agency would intensify monitoring and enforcement operations across markets, shopping centres, and recreational venues during the Easter period.

Solebo encouraged residents to report any case of consumer rights violations or unscrupulous trade practices, as well as unethical conduct by online vendors through the agency’s official communication channels for prompt intervention.

When NAFDAC was contacted on the development, the Resident Media Consultant of the agency, Sayo Akintola, who played down the fact that the untoward act is currently gaining traction, said there is a renewed vigour by NAFDAC since last year to tackle the menace.

“Over N1.5trillion worth of fake drugs, foods and other products were seized by the agency between February and March 2025. That was the highest in recent time. The enforcement order was carried out with the assistance of the nation’s drug adviser. We raided the three major medicine hubs in Nigeria – Idumota, Onitsha and Aba. We were there for about four to five weeks.

“This year, we have confiscated fake products worth millions of naira in Lagos. So the enforcement efforts are ongoing because we have the information that this is what people are doing on daily basis. Anywhere we know that such things are happening, we move in, get them arrested and seize the products so that they won’t get to the market.

“We are not resting on our oars, sometimes people just derive joy in crime, forgetting that they are making blood money at the expense of human beings. It is terrible. I want to disabuse your mind that the development is rampant these days, no, especially with what we have done. We are not just sitting down,” he said.

Indeed, there is need for a strong collaboration among the government, food producers, and consumers to help ensure food safety and stronger food systems to protect consumers across the country.

Experts have, however, pointed out that the manner expiry dates are placed under the product should be changed, they called for a method where it is placed on the body of the product so that anyone trying to alter the expiry date would be seen to be defacing the product. (Guardian)