The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has warned residents about the increasing sophistication of palm oil adulteration in markets across the state, urging consumers to be vigilant when purchasing the widely used cooking oil.
The warning followed a technical presentation at the 2026 Lagos State Food Safety Conference and Exhibition by Dr. Nurah Oseni, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Technology at Auchi Polytechnic.
Oseni presented a paper titled “Palm Oil Adulteration: Emerging Risks, Detection Strategies and Regulatory Control,” in which she highlighted several factors making palm oil vulnerable to adulteration.
According to her, the high volume of palm oil traded, consumers’ preference for deep-red colour as an indication of quality, price differences, informal market practices and the difficulty of detecting sophisticated adulterants have increased the risk of adulteration.
Experts Raise Concern Over Chemical Adulterants
Oseni identified the use of potentially harmful Sudan and Azo dyes to enhance the colour of palm oil as one of the emerging concerns.
She also raised concerns about the practice of mixing palm oil with recovered or recycled oils, including spent cooking oil, as well as the use of multiple adulterants designed to evade basic quality checks.
The expert also stressed that adulterated palm oil cannot be reliably identified through simple physical observation or water-based tests alone. She recommended stronger scientific testing, including risk-based screening, rapid physicochemical and spectroscopic tests, followed by confirmatory laboratory analysis where necessary.
LASCOPA Urges Consumers To Be Vigilant
Reacting to the concerns, LASCOPA General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Afolabi Solebo, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting Lagos residents from unsafe and substandard products.
Solebo urged residents to “shine their eyes” and report suspected cases of adulterated palm oil and unscrupulous traders through the agency’s official channels.
He also said market surveillance had been intensified across Lagos and warned that suspected offenders would face appropriate action under the relevant laws.
What Consumers Should Know
Oseni advised consumers to use visual observation only as an initial precaution, rather than treating it as proof that palm oil is genuine.
She noted that authentic palm oil may naturally separate into layers, with the lower layer appearing orange to reddish-yellow rather than having a uniformly deep-red appearance.
However, she cautioned that appearance alone cannot conclusively establish whether palm oil has been adulterated.
The warning comes as LASCOPA steps up surveillance of markets across Lagos and calls on consumers to report suspicious products and traders through the agency's official channels.
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