The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has warned bakery and confectionery operators against compromising food safety and product quality, stressing that rising production costs do not justify practices that could endanger consumers.

The FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, issued the warning on Tuesday during a stakeholder engagement with bakery and confectionery operators in Lagos.

Bello said operators must not pass the burden of rising input costs to consumers by resorting to unsafe substitutes, prohibited additives, substandard ingredients or poor hygiene practices.

He stressed that cost pressures should not come at the expense of consumer safety and product quality.

“Whatever the prevailing economic circumstances, cost pressures cannot justify practices that compromise the health and safety of consumers,” Bello said.

He said rising costs of flour, sugar, energy, transportation, packaging, equipment and financing could force businesses to make difficult commercial decisions.

However, he stressed that operators must respond to these challenges only through legitimate means.

“When input costs rise, businesses cannot resort to unsafe substitutes, harmful or prohibited additives, poor-quality ingredients, compromised hygiene, manipulated expiry information or other shortcuts that transfer commercial risks to consumers,” he said.

Bello further warned that consumers should not be made to bear the burden of production challenges confronting businesses.

He further cautioned that businesses must not pass the burden of their production challenges on to consumers.

“The consumer cannot become the shock absorber for every difficulty confronting the producer. Businesses are entitled to respond to changing economic conditions through legitimate commercial decisions. What they cannot legitimately do is deceive or endanger consumers,” he said.

The FCCPC boss stressed that food safety must remain a top priority, noting that bread and other baked products are consumed daily by millions of Nigerians.

The FCCPC said effective consumer protection must begin before products get to the market, with operators expected to maintain standards in ingredient sourcing, production, hygiene, handling, packaging, labelling, storage, transportation and display.

“Food safety cannot be compromised in the pursuit of profit,” Bello said.

Bello also warned against misleading consumers with inaccurate information about product labels, weights, quantities, ingredients, production dates, shelf life and other product details.

He said businesses could legitimately reduce the size or quantity of their products in response to market conditions, but must clearly and accurately disclose such changes to consumers.