NAFDAC warns Nigerians against use of popular bar soap, drugs

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued public alerts, warning Nigerians against the use of a popular bar soap and some drug products.

The NAFDAC warning follows separate alerts issued by the countries where the products were manufactured.

The agency, which issued the warning via fresh posts on its X handle on Monday, said the soap product was found to contain chemicals that could harm human reproductive organs and unborn children, and cause “skin sensitisation.”

The affected products, according to NAFDAC, are Dove Beauty Cream Bar Soap manufactured in Germany and some unregistered drug products that originated from the Philippines.

However, PREMIUM TIMES could not independently confirm if all of the products are in the Nigerian market.

On Dove Soap

Tagged public alert number 035/2024, NAFDAC said the soap reportedly contains Butylphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA) content

According to NAFDAC, the affected Dove soap is produced in Germany with batch number 81832M 08, and has been recalled by the German authorities due to chemical impurity.

“The product does not comply with the Cosmetic Products Regulation as it is said to contain Butylphenyl Methylpropional (BMHCA) which is prohibited in cosmetic products due to its risk of harming the reproductive system, causing harm to the health of an unborn child and may cause skin sensitisation. As a result, a ban on the marketing of the product has been placed by some regulatory and public authorities, in the EU,” the agency said in a statement which had earlier been published on its website on 30 August and reposted on X on Monday.

NAFDAC gave the product details as “Dove Beauty Cream Bar Soap” with the product brand as “Dove” and country of manufacture as Germany with “Bar Code Number 8000700000005,” and categorised as “Cosmetics”.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC also listed other Dove products that have been recalled in other countries, and warned Nigerians against using them.

Unregistered drug products

Also, in its post on Monday, NAFDAC listed 13 drug products already flagged by the authorities in the Philippines, cautioning importers, distributors and marketers against bringing them into Nigeria, even as it advised consumers to be wary of them.

The press release which was reposted on Monday by NAFDAC had earlier been issued by the agency on 22 August.

It noted that the Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had warned against the purchase and use of the unregistered drug products.

The agency listed the affected products as Niaosu Ruangao, Compound Bismuth Subnitrate Tablets, Cimetidine Injection 2ml:0.2g Ampoule, OTC Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide Syrups, Jingxin Pharmaceutical Roxithromycin Capsules 0.15g, Lean Slim Appetite Suppressant Strong Capsule 30’s, Lean Slim Appetite Suppressant Mild Capsule 30’s, and Dianne ® – 35 Cyproterone acetate 2.00 mg/ Ethinylestradiol 0.035 mg Sugar-Coated Tablet.

Others are Androcur® Siproteron asetat 50 mg Tablet, Androcur TM (Cyproterone acetate) 50 mg Tablet, Testoviron Depot (Testosterone enanthate) 250 mg, 1mL Ampoule, Climen® Estradiol valerat/Siproteron asetat 2mg+2mg/1mg Kapli Tablet, and Elleacnelle® Siproteron asetat 2000 mcg/Etinilestradiol 35 mcg Kapli Tablet.

NAFDAC noted that the Philippines authorities said the drug products had not gone through the registration process of the FDA and have not been issued with proper authorisation in the form of Certificate of Product Registration. “Thus, the FDA cannot guarantee their quality, safety and efficacy. Therefore, consumption of such violative products may pose potential danger or injury to health.”

Risk statement

NAFDAC warns that the illegal marketing of unregistered medicines or falsified drug products poses a risk to the health of people, “since by not complying with the process for marketing authorisation, legal importation, distribution or sale, the safety, quality and efficacy of the products are not guaranteed.”

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“The administration of the falsified or unregistered injection products may cause harm to patients or lead to fatal consequences such as death,” the agency said in the statement. “These products are obviously not registered by NAFDAC and not available in the NAFDAC database. It is important to ensure that they are not smuggled into the country through informal markets.”

NAFDAC therefore implored importers, distributors, retailers and healthcare providers to always exercise caution and vigilance within the supply chain “to avoid the importation, distribution, sale or use of the falsified or unregistered medicinal products.”

“Healthcare professionals and consumers are advised to report any suspicion of adverse drug reaction, substandard and falsified medicines to the nearest NAFDAC office, NAFDAC on 0800-162-3322 or via email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng,” it further noted.