The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confirmed that the Nivea BLACK&WHITE Invisible roll-on deodorant (50 ml) manufactured in Nigeria does not contain any harmful chemicals.
Following an initial alert regarding a product recall, NAFDAC stated it has completed a thorough investigation of the deodorant, dispelling concerns that it contains prohibited ingredients. “A recent investigation shows that the Black and White Nivea Roll-on deodorant manufactured in Nigeria does not contain the non-compliant ingredient (BMHCA),” the agency reported.
On October 31, NAFDAC issued a warning to Nigerians about the recall of a particular batch of Nivea deodorant, based on a notification by the European Union’s rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products (RAPEX) in Brussels. According to the RAPEX notice, the German-made version of the product, labeled “48H protection in African climate” with batch number 93529610 and barcode 42299882, contained 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde) (BMHCA), a chemical banned in cosmetics due to risks to reproductive health, skin irritation, and burns.
Beiersdorf, the manufacturer of Nivea, responded by clarifying that the ingredient, also known as LilialTM, has been banned from European cosmetics since March 1, 2022. The affected batch expired in January 2022 and complied with regulations at that time. The company also assured consumers that the batch in question was not marketed in Nigeria and confirmed that it has since reformulated all products to be Lilial-free.
“We wish to assure our valued customers that Batch No. 93529610 has not been marketed in Nigeria and has therefore never been recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of the NIVEA brand, as the official manufacturer,” the statement read.
The company added that it informed all trade partners to remove outdated Lilial products before the regulatory deadline to ensure compliance with European standards.
