Nigeria NIFST ISA Sweetener Regulation Call: Enhance Food Reformulation

• The Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) and the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) are advocating for science-based food reformulation and stronger local research to reduce sugar consumption.
• An estimated 11.2 million Nigerians are living with diabetes, contributing to a severe rise in diet-related non-communicable diseases.
• Stakeholders identified gaps in Nigeria's regulatory framework, including inadequate consumer knowledge and a lack of national dietary intake data.
• The 10 percent Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax has encouraged reformulation but created new technical challenges for manufacturers, especially given Nigeria's hot and humid climate.
• There is a strong call for harmonizing Nigeria's food additive regulations with global standards and improving public understanding of low- and no-calorie sweeteners.

For food and beverage companies operating in Nigeria, and their legal and compliance teams, closely monitoring potential amendments or strengthening of NAFDAC's food additive regulations concerning low- and no-calorie sweeteners is essential, as industry stakeholders are actively advocating for harmonization with global standards and enhanced local research.

Leading scientific and industry organizations in Nigeria have issued a joint call for a more robust, science-driven approach to food reformulation, specifically targeting sugar reduction. The Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST) and the International Sweeteners Association (ISA) are urging the federal government to enhance local research capabilities, align food additive regulations with global benchmarks, and improve public understanding of low- and no-calorie sweeteners. This advocacy comes as an estimated 11.2 million Nigerians grapple with diabetes, highlighting an urgent public health crisis.

The call was a central theme at a two-day conference titled "Low- and No-Calorie Sweeteners in Nigeria: The Science and Safety." Dr. Bola Osinowo, President of NIFST, emphasized that Nigeria is experiencing a significant increase in diet-related non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes and obesity. He underscored the critical need to address these national public health and economic realities when discussing the future of food formulation in the country.

Clinical data presented by Dr. Osinowo indicated that between six million and 11.2 million Nigerian adults are living with diabetes, imposing a substantial financial burden on both households and the healthcare system. An average Nigerian adult with diabetes may incur monthly expenses ranging from N20,000 to over N150,000 for essential care, including insulin, blood glucose monitoring, and clinical services. This challenge is further compounded by a severe shortage of medical specialists, with fewer than 200 physician endocrinologists practicing nationwide.

While the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has established the Food Additives Regulations 2021 and the Non-Nutritive Sweeteners in Food Products Regulations 2021, stakeholders assert that a more comprehensive regulatory and scientific framework is essential to support the ongoing transition towards reduced sugar content in food and beverages. Manufacturers are increasingly utilizing low- and no-calorie sweeteners (LNCS) to achieve this reduction, necessitating a robust system to guide their application.

Despite existing regulations, significant gaps were identified by the stakeholders. These include inadequate consumer knowledge regarding LNCS, a lack of comprehensive national dietary intake data, and technical hurdles associated with food reformulation. Research conducted by Nigerian institutions revealed that while awareness of sweeteners is relatively high, reaching 73.5 percent in some surveyed groups, a substantial portion—between 67 percent and 70.8 percent of respondents—demonstrated poor functional understanding of their safety and health implications. Furthermore, a study in Calabar Municipality indicated that up to 58.1 percent of young adults frequently consumed carbonated drinks sweetened with aspartame.

A critical deficiency highlighted is Nigeria's current lack of a coordinated national dietary database. Such a database is vital for effectively monitoring sweetener consumption and modeling exposure levels across diverse population groups. To address this, the stakeholders advocated for longitudinal dietary surveys across all six geopolitical zones, aiming to generate localized evidence that can inform future policy and regulation.

The implementation of a Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) tax, which was previously a flat N10 per litre, has spurred manufacturers to reformulate their products in Nigeria. However, the Nigerian Senate has recently approved a new excise duty framework, replacing the N10 per litre flat-rate tax with a percentage-based levy tied to retail prices. While encouraging healthier options, this tax change has also introduced new technical complexities for the food and beverage industry. Replacing sugar in beverages extends beyond merely replicating sweetness; manufacturers must also meticulously preserve critical attributes such as bulk, mouthfeel, viscosity, sensory characteristics, and overall shelf stability.

These reformulation challenges are particularly pronounced in Nigeria due to the prevailing hot and humid storage and distribution conditions. Maintaining product integrity under such environmental stressors adds another layer of complexity to the manufacturing process, requiring innovative solutions and potentially higher production costs for companies aiming to comply with both health objectives and consumer expectations.

The collective call from NIFST and ISA underscores the critical importance of aligning Nigeria's low-calorie sweetener policy with established global standards. Dr. Osinowo noted that approved LNCS have undergone extensive safety evaluations over decades by reputable international bodies, including the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Harmonizing local regulations with these international benchmarks would provide a clearer, more consistent framework for manufacturers and greater assurance for consumers.

This Nigeria NIFST ISA sweetener regulation call is pivotal for addressing the nation's escalating public health crisis while fostering a supportive environment for the food industry. Strengthening local research and generating indigenous data are crucial steps not only for informing policy but also for developing solutions tailored to Nigeria's unique dietary patterns and environmental conditions. For food and beverage companies operating in Nigeria, and their legal and compliance teams, closely monitoring potential amendments or strengthening of NAFDAC's food additive regulations concerning low- and no-calorie sweeteners is essential, as industry stakeholders are actively advocating for harmonization with global standards and enhanced local research. This proactive engagement could significantly impact product formulation, labeling, and compliance requirements in the near future.

Food and beverage companies operating in Nigeria, and their legal/compliance teams, should closely monitor potential amendments or strengthening of NAFDAC's food additive regulations concerning low- and no-calorie sweeteners, as industry stakeholders are actively advocating for harmonization with global standards and enhanced local research. This could impact product formulation, labeling, and compliance requirements in the near future.

Source: Original reporting via The Guardian