The Edo State Consumer Protection Committee has seized products suspected of being adulterated during an inspection of Phil Hallmark Supermarket, as the state intensifies efforts to protect consumers from potentially unsafe goods.
The inspection was conducted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, by the committee’s chairman, Iyamu Osaro Culture, alongside compliance and enforcement officers of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service.
According to the chairman, the inspection covered products displayed for sale at the supermarket. While the majority of the items examined were considered safe for consumption, some products were flagged as suspected adulterated goods and seized for further attention.
The affected products included Haze Premium XO Brandy, Calypso Coconut Liquor, White Chocolate Filled Biscuits and Remia Mayonnaise, among others.
The committee’s action forms part of its ongoing monitoring and enforcement exercises aimed at identifying questionable products and preventing potentially unsafe goods from reaching consumers.
Following the inspection, Culture directed the supermarket’s management to train its employees on how to verify product authenticity through the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control’s (NAFDAC) Automated Product Administration and Monitoring System (NAPAMS) and QR code scanner.
The directive is intended to improve the ability of supermarket workers to identify suspicious products, check relevant registration information and detect potential irregularities before stocking or selling goods to the public.
The committee said its inspection and enforcement activities would continue as part of broader efforts to safeguard public health and strengthen consumer protection under Governor Monday Okpebholo’s SHINE Agenda.
The seizure raises fresh concerns about the importance of effective product monitoring and the responsibility of retailers to ensure that goods offered for sale meet applicable safety and regulatory requirements.
However, the products were described as suspected adulterated goods, and the information released by the committee did not establish that laboratory testing had confirmed adulteration. Further verification by the relevant regulatory authorities would be necessary to determine the nature of any violations.
Consumers are advised to check product labels, registration details, packaging integrity and expiry dates before making purchases. Retailers, meanwhile, are expected to maintain appropriate checks on their stock and promptly address concerns involving questionable products.
The committee’s continued inspections will be important in determining whether the flagged products breached applicable regulations and what further enforcement measures may be required.
