A viral post claiming that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has released a long list of fake products in Nigeria is spreading online, with screenshots naming everything from Cowbell and Peak Milk to Coca-Cola, rice brands, medicines, cosmetics and even broad food categories such as palm oil, honey, fish and meat. The list has prompted concern among Nigerians, with many social media users interpreting the names as a fresh warning from NAFDAC that the products and brands themselves are fake.
However, a review of NAFDAC’s official recalls, safety alerts, blacklists and other regulatory notices shows that the viral list does not represent one new, consolidated NAFDAC publication declaring all the named products fake. Instead, the list brings together products that have appeared in different NAFDAC actions over several years, often under very different circumstances. Some were confirmed counterfeit or falsified products, while others were recalled because of quality or safety concerns.
In August 2025, NAFDAC issued an alert over counterfeit Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachets circulating in Nigeria. The agency said the counterfeit product was imitating Cowbell packaging but was not manufactured or distributed by Promasidor Nigeria Ltd. NAFDAC also noted that Promasidor had stopped producing the “Our Milk” variant in September 2023 and replaced it with Cowbell “Our Creamy Goodness”. This indicates that NAFDAC did not declare Cowbell products generally fake.
The viral list also includes Peak Milk, Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Schweppes, Lacasera and others, which have a genuine NAFDAC enforcement history. During an operation at Aba’s Cemetery Market in 2025, NAFDAC shut down facilities where counterfeit and adulterated beverages were being produced. The agency found products bearing the names of popular brands, including Coca-Cola, Fanta, Schweppes, Lacasera and Sprite, as well as Hollandia Yoghurt, Super Commando Energy, Feyrouz and Amstel Malta.
NAFDAC’s August 2025 alert on Postinor-2 concerned specific falsified batches of the emergency contraceptive. The agency identified Type 1 and Type 2 falsified products and said the affected batches had packaging differences and verification-sticker irregularities. The authorised marketing company also confirmed that it had not imported the affected batches. This shows that NAFDAC’s warning was limited to specific batches, not the entire product line.
Not every medicine on the viral list was identified as counterfeit. NAFDAC recalled Amoxivue 500mg in 2025 after testing found significantly low levels of its active pharmaceutical ingredient. Juhel Folic Acid Tablets were also recalled after being classified as substandard, while Regpara 25mg appeared in a recall over a quality concern involving an impurity. These are recalls or quality-related regulatory actions, not simply counterfeit alerts.
Consumers should check specific products, batches and NAFDAC registration details before drawing conclusions. NAFDAC’s own archive describes its notices as covering recalls, safety alerts, blacklists and other safety communications. The agency separately identifies regulatory actions involving counterfeit, falsified, unregistered and substandard products.
Key points
- The viral list combines NAFDAC alerts and enforcement actions from different years.
- NAFDAC did not issue one new alert declaring every brand on the viral list fake.
- Consumers should verify specific products, batches and NAFDAC registration details.
