NAFDAC seals Abuja supermarket for selling products labeled only in Chinese

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed a Chinese supermarket in Abuja for selling products labeled solely in Chinese, violating regulatory guidelines.

Located at Azba Mall, 2 Durban Street, Wuse 2, the supermarket was shut down on Monday after NAFDAC acted on credible reports about the violations.

NAFDAC’s Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Shaba Mohammed, revealed that all products in the supermarket were labeled in Chinese, which breaches NAFDAC regulations. Mohammed also stated that the agency would investigate why the majority of the items were imported with foreign language labels and whether they had expired.

“The supermarket was sealed due to these violations, and we will inspect its warehouse to prevent further sales of non-compliant goods,” Mohammed added. “Even globally imported items must have English labeling. We acted on the information we received, and had we known earlier, we would have taken action sooner.”

Under NAFDAC regulations, products labeled in languages such as Arabic, Chinese, or French must also include an English translation. The supermarket’s failure to comply with this requirement led to its closure.

Mohammed confirmed that NAFDAC is considering punitive actions if the violations are confirmed. He stressed that NAFDAC ensures proper inspection before granting certifications, and it is possible the supermarket bypassed NAFDAC’s scrutiny when importing the goods.

“We will invite the owner for further investigation and take appropriate regulatory measures,” he said.