Fresh Claims Emerge as Traders Allegedly Dilute Palm Oil With Harmful Substances in Southeast

• Traders in Southeast markets have been accused of adulterating edible palm oil with industrial substances to increase volume and profit
• A health expert warned that contaminated palm oil has been linked to serious risks, including cancer, liver, and kidney damage
• A union leader also claimed that enforcement measures exist, while some traders and vendors have unknowingly used the products

Traders and middlemen dealing in edible palm oil produced in several Nigerian markets, particularly in the Southeast, have been accused of adulterating edible palm oil with harmful substances to maximise profit.

This practice involves mixing colour and some other industrial liquid substances and recycled cooking oil to increase the volume of oil and enhance its colour to a deep red, which consumers often mistakenly equate with high quality.

This issue is rampant in major markets in the Southeast and parts of the South-South. Investigations suggest that a significant percentage of palm oil sold in these areas is contaminated.

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A dietician, Steve Mgbemena, who spoke with Legit.ng correspondent in Onitsha, on Friday, April 24, said there were reported cases of producers and traders adulterating edible palm oil.

This practice, according to him, involves mixing genuine palm oil with industrial dyes such as Sudan IV, grease, paraffin wax, transformer oil, and recycled cooking oil.

"Traders, sometimes, add Sudan III and IV dyes - which are typically used for coloring plastics, textiles, and shoe polish - to give the oil an appealing, vibrant red hue," he explained.

On the health implications of such adulteration, Mgbemena explained that it could cause cancer, liver, and bladder problems.

He said, "Sudan dyes are classified as group 3 carcinogens, which can cause cancers, particularly of the liver and bladder.

"Consumption of these adulterants can lead to liver damage, kidney dysfunction, and hormonal imbalances."

"Also, contaminated palm oil can cause digestive issues, stomach cramps, nausea, and allergic reactions."

How to identify adulterated palm oil - Expert

On how to identify adulterated palm oil, he said,

"Adulterated edible palm oil has an overly bright red or unnaturally uniform red color. Unusually thick, slimy, or watery, rather than smooth and viscous."

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"Adulterated oil often produces excessive foam, a pungent smell, or smokes quickly when heated. When a small amount is mixed with water, adulterated oil often leaks color into the water."

He noted that regulatory agencies in Nigeria have warned consumers to avoid purchasing palm oil from untrusted sources, particularly in the open markets, and have conducted raids to arrest perpetrators.

Trader, vendor share experiences

A trader in Onitsha market who sells edible palm oil at the Unity Palm Produce Market, Woliwo, Onitsha, Ambrose Okoye, acknowledged that some dealers indulge in such sharp practices, mainly in some markets in the South South, especially Calabar areas.

Okoye, chairman of the market, who spoke with Legit.ng on Saturday, April 25, in Onitsha, however, said that such practice is not there in his market, as there is a task force in place to checkmate such practice.

The union chairman, who spoke through his secretary, Emmanuel Onuya, said,

"Our market union is so strong that such a thing cannot be allowed to have a place here. If we ever get any defaulter, we shall confiscate the product and hand him over to law enforcement agencies."

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"We're middlemen. Traders and customers respect us for quality. This is why traders and consumers can't stop coming here to patronise us."

"We get our supply from trusted sources in Imo, Enugu, and Anambra states. We noticed these sharp practices from suppliers from the Calabar area of Akwa Ibom state, and we've since stopped their supply."

A food vendor in Nkpor, Idemili North local government area of the state, Angelina Izualor, narrated how she almost lost all her customers because she used adulterated palm oil without knowing it.

Izualor, in a chat with Legit.ng correspondent said,

"I've been hearing about adulterated palm oil, and I just got to know what it looks like recently. Before now, I used to cook with all kinds of palm oil, not knowing which one is ok, and which one was not."

"So, from time to time, customers used to bring complaints about the food I cooked - the taste and how they react in their bodies. But later, when I realised that the problem was partly from the kind of palm oil I used, I adjusted. Since then, I have noticed something different in how customers react after eating my food."

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FG slashes import tariffs on palm oil by 17%

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that the Federal Government has reduced import tariffs on crude palm oil by 17 per cent, in a bid to tackle rising food prices and ease pressure on households across the country.

The tariff on palm oil imports was lowered from 35 per cent to 28.75 per cent under the 2026 Fiscal Policy Measures, alongside similar adjustments to rice and sugar imports aimed at improving affordability.

Source: Legit.ng