Beiersdorf, the German multinational behind NIVEA, has denied selling its recalled NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant in Nigeria, countering a recent safety alert issued by Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In a statement released on Saturday, Beiersdorf responded to NAFDAC’s caution concerning the safety, sale, and distribution of this product. The company clarified that the specific batch of NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-On Deodorant in question, Batch No. 93529610, was discontinued in 2022 and has neither been sold nor promoted in Nigeria.
Earlier, NAFDAC had issued a warning against using the body deodorant due to alleged harmful chemicals in the product. The product, according to NAFDAC, was recalled in Europe because it contained a banned chemical, 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde), also known as BMHCA or LilialTM, which is prohibited in cosmetics.
The NIVEA Black & White Invisible series is marketed globally as a deodorant line designed to avoid staining clothes, offering protection without white marks or yellow stains. However, NAFDAC cited the European Union’s Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Non-Food Products (RAPEX) as flagging the product over safety concerns.
In its response, Beiersdorf stated that the batch of concern had expired in January 2022 and was compliant with all European regulations at that time. The company further clarified that production of the deodorant had ceased in February 2022, prior to the EU’s official ban on BMHCA in cosmetics.
“According to current European legislation, the use of 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetics has been prohibited since March 1, 2022,” the statement read. “We assure our valued customers that Batch No. 93529610 was never marketed in Nigeria, nor has it been recalled by Beiersdorf, the NIVEA brand owner. The batch was fully compliant with the applicable regulations at the time.”
Beiersdorf reaffirmed its commitment to global safety standards, stating that its products undergo rigorous quality checks to ensure regulatory compliance. “Our entire NIVEA portfolio has been reformulated to exclude Lilial well in advance of the EU regulation,” the company added, noting that the NIVEA Black & White Invisible Roll-on deodorant has been Lilial-free since 2020, including in Nigeria.
The company also emphasized its collaboration with NAFDAC to support proper regulation and to keep Nigerian consumers informed and protected.
