FCCPC Counsels Bakery, Confectionery Operators on Safe Products, Ingredients Review, Production Process

Dike Onwuamaeze

Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has advised operators in the bakery and confectionery industry to ensure the delivery of safe products and regular review of their ingredients, production processes, marketing information, and complaints handling.

The advice was outlined yesterday by Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, in his remarks during a stakeholders’ engagement with bakery and confectionery operators in Lagos State.

The meeting had the theme, “Building Consumer Trust Through Quality and Safety: A Regulatory Compliance Mandate for Industry Operators.”

Bello said, “I, therefore, ask every operator here to return to your business after this engagement and examine your product from beginning to end.

“There are five areas that deserve particular attention. First, review your ingredients and inputs. Know where they come from, establish their quality and ensure they are properly stored and handled.

“Second, examine your production process. Review hygiene, equipment, personnel practices and the controls designed to protect the safety and quality of what you produce.

“Third, audit what you tell the consumer. Check your labels, advertisements, weights, quantities and other representations, and make sure the consumer receives what has been promised.”

He added, “Fourth, strengthen traceability and complaint handling. Ensure that you can identify an affected product or batch, determine where it was distributed and recognise patterns emerging from consumer complaints.

“Fifth, prepare for the possibility that something may go wrong. Have a clear procedure for isolating affected products, investigating problems, protecting consumers, notifying the appropriate authorities where required and taking corrective action.”

He also said, “The commitment I ask you to take away from this engagement is, therefore, practical. Make quality part of your everyday operations. Treat safety as non-negotiable. Be truthful with consumers and give them what you have promised.

“Above all, make compliance part of the way you do business, rather than something you prepare for only when a regulator is coming.

“If we can establish that culture across this industry, consumers will be safer, responsible businesses will be stronger and public confidence in the sector will grow.”

Bello, represented by the Coordinator, South West Zonal Office, FCCPC, Dr. Olubunmi Otti, said one useful question for every producer was “if I knew everything about how this product was made, would I confidently serve it to my own family?

“If the answer is yes, maintain that standard. If there is any hesitation, identify the reason and address it.”

He said consumers did not ordinarily know where the ingredients came from, how they were stored, or the conditions under which the products were made.

They depended on the producer to maintain proper hygiene, use appropriate ingredients, represent the product truthfully and supply the quantity promised, Bello stated.

He said, “Our purpose here today is to reinforce a simple principle: that trust must be justified by conduct.” 

Bello said another area that deserved attention was product labelling that contained representations made by the producer to consumers who were entitled to rely on those representations.

He emphasised that under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) what a business told consumers about its products mattered, regardless of where that information appeared. 

According to him, “If you state that a loaf has a particular weight, that information should be accurate.

“If you state that a product contains particular ingredients, the contents should correspond with that representation.

“Where information concerning production dates, shelf life, allergens, storage or other material characteristics is required by applicable law, regulation or standard, it must be provided as required and must not mislead the consumer. 

“A business may legitimately reconsider the size of its product, but whatever quantity is offered must be accurately represented.

“A reduction in quantity must not be accompanied by any false, misleading or deceptive representation about the weight, size, quantity or value being offered to the consumer.”

He encouraged stakeholders to label or describe their goods in a manner that made them easily traceable to the manufacturer, importer or distributor.  

Bello also emphasised that consumers’ complaints should form an important part of that system, adding, “The lesson for businesses is that complaints can provide valuable information about safety and quality.” 

Bello told bakery and confectionery operators to compete on quality, efficiency, innovation, service and value. 

He explained that FCCPC had chosen engagement because prevention was preferable to dealing with consumer harm after it had occurred.

He stated, “We want businesses to understand their obligations and to speak openly about genuine compliance challenges.

“We also expect industry associations to help improve standards among their members, while operators should be willing to identify weaknesses in their systems and correct them before those weaknesses result in consumer harm.

“That is an important part of constructive regulation.”