NAFDAC says NIVEA roll-on manufactured in Nigeria safe for use

One week after issuing a safety alert, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has declared the NIVEA Black & White Roll-On manufactured in Nigeria safe for public use.

In a recent statement, the agency said its investigation showed that the Black and White Nivea Roll-on deodorant manufactured in Nigeria contains no prohibited chemical.

The dangerous chemical said to have been found in the withdrawn product batches is called 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA).

Backstory

The agency had earlier warned against using the NIVEA Black and White Invisible Body Deodorant, one of the products in the Nivea Black & White Invisible series manufactured by Beiersdorf, a German multinational company.

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

NAFDAC had said the product contained the BMHCA chemical, which 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 agency disclosed that European authorities recalled the product for containing the chemical.

“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 read in part.

The agency also warned traders possessing this product to immediately cease selling it and submit it to the nearest NAFDAC office for further examination.

New decision

However, in its recent notification on the product, the agency said the products manufactured in Nigeria do not contain the banned chemical.

“A recent investigation shows that the Black and White Nivea Roll-on deodorant manufactured in Nigeria does not contain the non-compliant ingredient (BMHCA),” NAFDAC said.

The agency also referenced the statement issued by Beiersdorf in response to its safety alert.

“It would be recalled that following the release of the notification by the agency, the manufacturers of the product, Beiersdorf, had issued a statement in which it assured its esteemed customers that the Batch No. 93529610 in question has not been marketed in Nigeria and thus was never recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of NIVEA brand, as the legal manufacturer,” NAFDAC said.

Manufacturer speaks

According to Beiersdorf, the products have been out of circulation since 2022, and so they are not in circulation in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.

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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.”

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.”