NAFDAC Alerts on Revalidated SMA Gold Infant Formula in Kaduna

NAFDAC Alerts Public Over Tampered SMA Gold Infant Formula in Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has issued a public health alert regarding a suspected batch of SMA Gold First Infant Milk Formula with altered expiry dates circulating in Kaduna State, Nigeria.

The alert, posted on NAFDAC’s official social media platform, follows a report linking the product to infant gastrointestinal distress. A four-month-old infant developed diarrhoea after consuming the formula, a symptom NAFDAC associates with possible product deterioration that could lead to acute gastroenteritis, dehydration, and electrolyte imbalance. The agency further warns that compromised nutritional content may cause malnutrition, while pathogenic bacterial contamination poses a severe risk of secondary infections and fatal outcomes in vulnerable infants.

Initial physical examination of a complaint sample revealed clear evidence of date alteration. The manufacturing and expiry dates on a preprinted sticker were inconsistent with the underlying, originally printed information. This confirms suspicions that the product’s shelf life has been illegally extended—a practice NAFDAC terms “revalidation.”

The specific batch under investigation is SMA Gold Infant Formula, a Nestlé product designed as a nutritionally complete, whey-dominant formula for infants from birth to six months. The batch number is 22939510A1206 07:35. It carries a falsified manufacture date of January 20, 2025, and an expiry date of January 20, 2027. NAFDAC’s investigation indicates the original, legitimate manufacturing date was May 28, 2023, with a correct expiry date of May 28, 2025 (NAFDAC Reg. No. B1-2783).

NAFDAC stresses that any alteration of a product’s shelf life without regulatory approval is a serious violation that risks adulteration, consumer deception, and significant public health harm. Expired infant formula can harbor harmful microbes and lose essential nutrients, disproportionately endangering infants with underdeveloped immune systems.

The agency has directed all zonal directors and state coordinators to intensify surveillance and mop up the suspect product wherever it is found. Distributors, retailers, healthcare professionals, and caregivers are urged to exercise extreme vigilance in the supply chain to prevent the distribution, sale, and use of this tampered batch.

The public is advised to purchase all packaged food and medical products only from authorized suppliers and to meticulously check labels for authenticity and physical integrity. Suspicions of substandard or falsified regulated products should be reported immediately to the nearest NAFDAC office, via the toll-free line 0800-162-3322, or by email at sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng.

NAFDAC reaffirms its commitment to safeguarding public health through continuous surveillance to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of all regulated products in Nigeria.