German company reacts to NAFDAC’s safety alert on NIVEA product

A German multinational company and manufacturer of the NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant, Beiersdorf, has said its product recently flagged by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has been discontinued since 2022 and is not sold or advertised in Nigeria.

The company disclosed this in a statement issued in response to a recent safety alert by NAFDAC against the sale, distribution of one of the company’s products.

The agency had earlier warned against using Nivea Black and White Invisible Body Deodorant, stating that European authorities had recalled it because it allegedly contains harmful chemicals prohibited for use in cosmetics products.

The dangerous chemical is called 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA) according to NAFDAC.

NAFDAC said the chemical, BMHCA, is prohibited in cosmetic products because it could trigger skin irritation and also affect the reproductive health of its users or an unborn child.

“The recalled Nivea product is said to contain 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA), a chemical prohibited in cosmetics products due to its ability to cause harm to the reproductive system, impair the health of an unborn child, as well as skin irritation and burns to users,” the statement reads in part

Product not on sale

But, Beiersdorf, in a statement on Saturday, said the products have been out of circulation since 2022, and so not in Nigeria or any part of the world.

The cosmetic multinational company said production of the NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant was discontinued in February 2022 “before the BMHCA ban and is fully compliant with the EU cosmetic regulations.”

The European legislation publicly prohibited the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products in March 2022.

Beiersdorf’s statement reads in part: “Based on current European legislation, the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products has been banned from the European markets as of March 1, 2022.

“We wish to assure our esteemed customers that the Batch No. 93529610 in question has not been marketed in Nigeria and thus never recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of NIVEA brand, as the legal manufacturer. The batch in question, in fact, expired in January 2022 and was hence at the time fully compliant with the then valid European cosmetic regulation”.

Commitment

Meanwhile, the company has affirmed its commitment to meeting global safety standards and ensured that its products undergo strict quality checks to meet regulatory requirements.

“Our entire NIVEA portfolio has been reformulated to exclude Lilial well ahead of the EU regulation that came into effect,” the company said. “The NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant has been Lilial-free since at least 2020, including in Nigeria,” it said.

It noted that it is also collaborating with NAFDAC to ensure adequate regulation, adding that it had taken steps to ensure that Nigerian consumers are protected and informed.