The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called on bakery and confectionery operators to make product safety, quality and honesty central to their daily operations, warning that consumer trust must be earned through responsible business practices.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Mr Tunji Bello, gave the advice on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement with bakery and confectionery operators in Lagos State.
The engagement, themed “Building Consumer Trust Through Quality and Safety: A Regulatory Compliance Mandate for Industry Operators,” focused on practical steps businesses can take to prevent consumer harm and strengthen confidence in the sector.
Represented by the Coordinator, South West Zonal Office of the FCCPC, Dr Olubunmi Otti, Bello urged operators to examine every stage of their production process, from sourcing raw materials to handling consumer complaints.
“I, therefore, ask every operator here to return to your business after this engagement and examine your product from beginning to end,” he said.
Bello identified five key areas that operators should regularly review.
First, he urged businesses to scrutinise their ingredients and other inputs, including their sources, quality, storage and handling.
He also asked operators to examine their production processes, particularly hygiene standards, equipment, staff practices and safety controls.
The third area, he said, was the information presented to consumers through labels, advertisements, weights, quantities and other product claims.
“Third, audit what you tell the consumer. Check your labels, advertisements, weights, quantities and other representations, and make sure the consumer receives what has been promised,” Bello said.
He further called for stronger product traceability and complaint-handling systems, enabling businesses to identify affected batches, track distribution and detect recurring problems through consumer feedback.
Operators were also urged to prepare for product failures by establishing clear procedures for isolating affected goods, investigating incidents, notifying relevant authorities where necessary and taking corrective measures.
‘Safety Must Be Non-Negotiable’
Bello said compliance should become part of everyday business culture rather than something operators address only when regulatory inspections are expected.
“Make quality part of your everyday operations. Treat safety as non-negotiable. Be truthful with consumers and give them what you have promised,” he said.
He added that stronger compliance would benefit both consumers and responsible businesses.
“If we can establish that culture across this industry, consumers will be safer, responsible businesses will be stronger and public confidence in the sector will grow,” Bello stated.
To drive home the importance of product safety, he challenged producers to ask themselves a simple question:
“If I knew everything about how this product was made, would I confidently serve it to my own family?”
According to Bello, a positive answer should encourage businesses to maintain their standards, while any hesitation should prompt an immediate review of what went wrong.
The FCCPC chief also stressed the importance of accurate product labelling, noting that consumers have a right to rely on representations made by businesses.
He said claims concerning product weight, ingredients, production dates, shelf life, allergens, storage conditions and other material characteristics must be truthful and compliant with applicable laws and standards.
“If you state that a loaf has a particular weight, that information should be accurate,” Bello said.
He warned that businesses could adjust product sizes or quantities if they wished, but any reduction must be clearly and accurately represented to consumers.
“A reduction in quantity must not be accompanied by any false, misleading or deceptive representation about the weight, size, quantity or value being offered to the consumer,” he said.
Bello further encouraged operators to label their products in ways that allow consumers and regulators to easily identify the manufacturer, importer or distributor.
The FCCPC executive vice chairman described consumer complaints as more than regulatory issues, saying they could provide businesses with valuable information about product quality and safety.
“The lesson for businesses is that complaints can provide valuable information about safety and quality,” he said.
He urged operators to compete through quality, efficiency, innovation, customer service and value rather than practices capable of compromising consumer safety.
Bello explained that the commission opted for stakeholder engagement because preventing consumer harm was preferable to responding after damage had already occurred.
“We want businesses to understand their obligations and to speak openly about genuine compliance challenges,” he said.
He also called on industry associations to help raise standards among their members and encouraged operators to identify and fix weaknesses before they cause harm.
“That is an important part of constructive regulation,” Bello said.
