Counterfeit Cowbell milk poses health dangers, NAFDAC warns Nigerians, urging vigilance as fake 12g sachets circulate with serious safety risks

Counterfeit Cowbell milk has triggered a strong warning from the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) after fake 12g sachets were found circulating across Nigeria.

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The regulatory agency, in an alert posted Friday, disclosed that Promasidor Nigeria Ltd the authorised manufacturer of Cowbell “Our Milk” confirmed the existence of counterfeit products closely resembling the genuine 12g sachet milk.

According to NAFDAC, the fake products illegally copied the brand name, packaging design, NAFDAC registration number, and trademark.

Investigations revealed that the counterfeit packaging design was last legitimately used by Promasidor in September 2023.

The agency explained how consumers can differentiate genuine from fake products. Authentic Cowbell sachets are creamy,

carry the revised PNG “Our Creamy Goodness” design, have batch details printed with laser technology, proper coding within the designated area, and clean automated sealing.

By contrast, the counterfeit version contains powder that does not resemble milk, uses the outdated PNG “Our Milk” design, displays batch numbers printed with ink, shows coding outside the official area, and has manually sealed edges.

NAFDAC cautioned that consuming counterfeit Cowbell milk poses serious health hazards, including the possibility of toxic chemicals, harmful additives, and diluted ingredients.

Reported risks include foodborne illnesses, allergic reactions, organ damage, and even death in extreme cases with infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly especially vulnerable.

To curb distribution, the agency has directed all zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance and mop up fake products across markets.

Consumers, retailers, and distributors have been urged to source food only from licensed suppliers and remain vigilant in checking product authenticity.

NAFDAC further encouraged the public and healthcare professionals to report suspected counterfeit products to its offices, via hotline 0800-162-3322, or by email at sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.