Beiersdorf, the German manufacturers of the Nivea brand of deodorant, has clarified that its Black & White Invisible Roll-On deodorant declared unsafe by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), is not on sale in Nigeria.
NAFDAC had on October 31, alerted Nigerians to the recall of the product by the European Union’s (EU) rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) in Brussels.
In the statement, the agency said that Nivea Black & White Invisible Roll-On deodorant contains 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA), a chemical prohibited in cosmetics products due to its ability to cause harm to the reproductive system, impairs the health of an unborn child as well as skin irritation and burns to users.
But in a statement issued on Saturday, the company insisted that the particular deodorant with batch number 93529610, is not available for sale in Nigeria.
The company noted that the product in question couldn’t have been recalled from Nigeria as it was not available and had actually expired in January 2022.
The statement read: “We have been made aware of a safety alert notification issued by NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) in Nigeria issued on October 31, 2024, regarding NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant (50 ml) batch number 93529610, in relation to the general European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Non-Food Products (RAPEX).
“The batch is said to contain 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA). Based on current European legislation, the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products has been banned from the European markets as of March 1, 2022.
READ ALSO: NAFDAC warns Nigerians against use of recalled Nivea Roll-On deodorant
“We wish to assure our esteemed customers that the Batch No. 93529610 in question has not been marketed in Nigeria and thus never recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of NIVEA brand, as the legal manufacturer. The batch in question, in fact, expired in January 2022 and was hence at the time fully compliant with the then valid European cosmetic regulation.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, Beiersdorf is working collaboratively with NAFDAC to safeguard the interest of the Nigerian consumers by ensuring that our locally manufactured product meets the global quality standards.
“The safety of our consumers remains our highest priority, consistent with our ethical philosophy as a business. In pursuit of this commitment, Beiersdorf’s entire NIVEA product portfolio formulations have been reformulated to be Lilial-free formulas in full compliance with the EU Regulation on cosmetic products well ahead of its Lilial ban coming into effect as far back as March 1, 2022. For instance, the formulation of NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant has been Lilial-free since at least 2020 across the globe, including Nigeria.
“Our trade partners were informed ahead of time and reminded of their responsibility to remove the outdated Lilial-containing products within the legal timeframe to fulfill their obligations with the European Cosmetic Product Regulation.’
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