W-I-C-K-E-D: Palm Oil Producers Adding Engine Oil, Dye To Boost Profit -Investigation
The Pointer (02/11/2025) - BY CHIKA KWAMBA/OGORAMAKA AMOS/PAUL EGEDE/RITA OYIBOKA/JUDITH OBIANUA/VICTORY VICTOR
Palm oil glows under the morning sun in plastic gallons, bottles, and bowls. Its deep red colour, thick texture, and rich aroma have made it an indispensable part of every Nigerian kitchen. Yet, beneath that golden-red glow lies a growing con-cern: adulteration.
Once a symbol of purity and nourishment, palm oil has now become a risky pur-chase for many households. From dealers trying to outsmart competitors to con-sumers battling to detect fake from genuine, the story of palm oil adulteration across Nigeria is a tale of survival, deception, and health danger.
In Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital, Madam Grace Nwachukwu, a palm oil seller at Rumuodomaya Market, told The Pointer,
“The truth is, some people mix palm oil because they want it to look more attrac-tive or to increase the quantity. Real palm oil has a natural red colour that fades over time, but customers often reject it when it looks dull in the eye. I don’t know why. So, some sellers mix it with other oils to make it look fresh,” she confided.
“People want cheap things. When you tell a buyer that a five-litre of pure oil is be-tween N12,000 and N13,000, they will say, ‘Aunty, I saw the five-litre gallon for N9,000 elsewhere.’ So, some sellers cut corners just to meet demand.’’
Another dealer at Mile One, Mr Sunday Eze, shared a similar sentiment.
“I buy from local processors in the villages, because sometimes the ones here (city) are mixed. They use things like Sudan dye or colour to make the oil thicker and redder. By the time it reaches the town, many buyers can’t tell the dif-ference. The greed in the system is too much.”
He went further to say, “Sometimes, this problem is from the middleman; those who buy direct from the palm oil farmers. Instead of buying in large quantities, they would buy small quantities and mix them into larger quantities just to make a gain. But the consequences are severe.’’
Also, doctors and nutritionists in Port Harcourt expressed serious concern over the growing rate of palm oil adulteration. They warned that the long-term effects are far more dangerous than most people realise.
A public health personnel, Dr Kelechi Amadi, said the health risks are alarming.
“The problem is that most of these chemical dyes are carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancer. Continuous intake of adulterated palm oil can lead to liver dam-age, kidney failure, and gastrointestinal problems. It can also affect blood cells in the long run.”
He added that the damage is often silent. “People don’t immediately feel sick after consuming adulterated oil. It builds up gradually in the body. By the time symp-toms appear, organs have already been compromised.”
A nutritionist, Mrs Ngozi Opara, also warned against the nutritional loss that comes with adulteration. “Pure palm oil is rich in vitamins A and E, which are good for eyesight and the immune system. But when chemicals or foreign substances are added, those nutrients are destroyed. What remains is poison, not food.”
She urged consumers to patronise trusted dealers or go for certified brands.
“I wouldn’t blame consumers because they are misled by greedy palm oil sellers. I advise consumers to avoid buying palm oil from random markets. They must be careful; not all that glitters red is healthy.”
Despite awareness campaigns, many consumers still find it difficult to distinguish genuine palm oil from adulterated ones. Mrs Happiness Nwosu, a mother of four and a petty trader, recounted her experience.
“I once bought palm oil that smelled funny. When I cooked with it, the soup looked red but had a taste that I didn’t understand. My children even complained of stomach pain. Since then, I have been very careful. I buy from one woman who I know buys direct from the palm oil farm.”
Another consumer, Mr Innocent Uche, a food vendor at Mile Three, shared his frustration. “Sometimes, these fake palm oils, when you fry with them, the oil ei-ther turns black quickly or it will be thick and smell funny. But by then, it’s too late. We, the consumers, don’t have any scientific way to test it beforehand. We just go by smell and colour. Most times, we can’t tell which is fake. The palm oil farmers say the real oil is usually dull in colour, not bright red or black, but there are a lot of mixed ones these days.”
A businesswoman at Rumuola, Mrs Ifeoma Samuel, believes even trusted sellers are now unreliable. “I used to buy from one woman for years. But last December, I noticed her oil was too red and thick. When I asked, she said it was new stock from Imo. Later, someone told me it had been mixed with dye. Since then, I’m scared.”
Reacting to the issue, a medical biochemist and public health expert based in Port Harcourt, Dr Nimi Benson, explained that palm oil adulteration has become a worrying public health issue in recent years, largely driven by greed and economic hardship.
According to him, many producers now mix pure palm oil with artificial substanc-es to make more profit, without considering the health implications. “What we are seeing today is no longer the traditional palm oil our mothers used to pro-duce. Many dealers now add substances like red dye, even dangerous chemicals, just to make the oil look richer and brighter,” Dr Briggs noted.
He explained that some of these additives are extremely toxic. Some producers resort to using synthetic dyes like Sudan III and Sudan IV, which are known to be carcinogenic. “These dyes were never meant for food consumption. Continuous intake can lead to serious health problems such as liver damage, heart complica-tions, and even cancer,” he warned.
Dr Benson further pointed out that, beyond chemical adulteration, poor hygiene in the handling and storage of palm oil often leads to microbial contamination and the presence of heavy metals, which make the product unsafe for consumption. “Research has confirmed that locally processed palm oil can contain harmful lev-els of heavy metals and microorganisms due to unsanitary processing conditions,” he added.
He urged consumers to be cautious when buying palm oil, particularly from open markets where regulation is weak. “The bright red colour you see doesn’t always mean quality. Sometimes, it’s the opposite. Consumers should buy from trusted sources and avoid oil that looks unusually red or has a strange odour,” he advised.
He concluded by calling for stricter regulation and public sensitisation. “Govern-ment agencies like NAFDAC and the Ministry of Health must step up monitoring. This is not just about food fraud; it’s a silent health crisis if left unchecked.”
Also, a nutritionist, Dr (Mrs) Juliet Enwere, emphasised the risks.
“Adulterated palm oil often contains residues of chemical solvents that are harm-ful to the body. Over time, these chemicals accumulate in the body, leading to chronic damage.” She also noted that “Some adulterants are fat-soluble and re-main in the body’s tissues for a long time. That’s what makes it more dangerous. The effects are not immediate, but cumulative”
Laboratory technologist, Mr Bright Obinna, explained how difficult it is for con-sumers to detect adulteration without proper testing.
“Palm oil adulteration is not always visible. Some chemicals dissolve completely. But people can look for warning signs like excessive brightness, strange smell, or oil that solidifies.”
He called for government intervention through regular inspection and public edu-cation, even as he suggested that government support for local producers could reduce adulteration.
“If there are incentives or low-interest loans for palm oil processors, more people will produce genuine oil and still make a profit.”
A secondary school teacher and a mother of three, Mrs Patience Okon, said
“I now buy from my village. I know the people who produce it, and they don’t mix it. It’s more expensive, but I prefer safety.” When asked ways to identify the fake palm oil, she replied, “If the oil smells like chemicals or stains your pot badly, it’s likely fake.”
In Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, a groundnut and Palm Oil Seller, Mrs Roseline Ijeoma, said, “I have been selling oil for over 15 years now, and truth be told, the business is not what it used to be.
‘’Back then, when you open a gallon of palm oil, the smell alone tells you it is pure. You don’t need to ask questions. But these days, it is difficult to know what you are buying, even for us sellers. Some of these suppliers mix palm oil with sub-stances like red dye, groundnut oil, or even engine oil just to increase the quantity and make extra profit.
‘’Once you see that bright red colour, you might think it’s pure. When you fry with it, you’ll notice it burns faster, and the taste is somehow bitter or like some-thing that has rusted. That’s how you know it has been tampered with. Moreover, something that tastes like that cannot be good for people to eat.
“Sometimes, customers come back to accuse us of selling fake oil. But they don’t understand that most of us buy in bulk from middlemen who bring the oil from villages in the Delta, Edo, or Anambra. We can’t test every gallon before buying. If you hesitate too much, someone else will buy it. So it’s a risk we take daily.
‘’But the adulteration has made many people lose trust in the market. Those who used to buy in large quantities for resale or for their restaurants now prefer branded oil from supermarkets, even though it’s more expensive.
“Now, I prefer dealing with small producers I know personally. It might not look as bright or clear as the factory ones, but it is natural. The problem now is that genuine oil is costlier to produce. So, when others are using shortcuts to make more money, the honest ones struggle to survive. This is why adulteration contin-ues: people are trying to cut corners to survive the economy. But in the long run, it spoils the business for everyone because buyers no longer trust the product.”
Also speaking, an Agbor-based palm oil farmer, Mr Fidelis Ewere, explained that the growing rate of adulteration in palm oil production is largely due to greed and the quest for quick profit among some producers who have abandoned tradition-al methods for faster, chemically aided ones.
He said, “I inherited this plantation from my father, and since then I have been in the business. In those days, we used the traditional method, harvesting, boiling, pressing, and separating the oil. It takes time, yes, but the result is genuine, thick, and healthy oil.
‘’Nowadays, some people have abandoned that patience. They are looking for faster means to produce more oil, and that’s where the problem starts. Others who have palm plantations and live in the city might not know or even care about what their workers are doing during the processing. For me, I must come back to my plantation in Ekuku-Agbor every time we want to process to see what is going on because I will also consume the oil.
“I hear some of these people use chemicals like potash or caustic soda to extract oil faster and make it look bright red. Others add colour enhancers like Azo dye, which is meant for fabrics, not food. When you use such oil for cooking, it looks attractive at first, but it causes stomach discomfort and can damage the liver over time. The sad thing is, these producers know it’s wrong, but they keep doing it be-cause the demand is high and the cost of palm fruits, firewood, and labour keeps increasing.
“Another common practice now is dilution. Some producers mix real palm oil with cheaper vegetable oil, especially those imported ones that are refined and odour-less. They do this to increase volume and sell at lower prices to attract buyers. It’s a silent competition. If you produce yours genuinely, your oil becomes too expen-sive compared to the adulterated ones. So customers will say, ‘Why should I buy yours for ₦4,000 when someone else sells for ₦3,000?’ They don’t know that the cheaper one might be mixed with chemicals or other oils. The more wicked ones (producers) will still sell at the same price as real oil.
“I have told some of my colleagues that we are killing our own market. Once peo-ple lose trust in local palm oil, the foreign ones will take over completely. Already, many Nigerians now buy imported oils believing they are safer. It’s shameful be-cause we have the best palm trees here in Delta, Edo, and the rest. But greed and hardship have made people compromise standards,” he said.
From the perspective of Joy Okafor, a palm oil dealer, ‘’many people who adul-terate palm oil do so simply because they want to make more money. Producing pure palm oil isn’t cheap; the cost of palm fruits, transportation, and processing keeps going up.
‘’In an attempt to cut costs and increase profit, some dishonest dealers end up mixing the real oil with other harmful substances. Some add chemical dyes to make the oil look redder and fresher, while others mix it with used or low-quality oil, or even blend it with other types of vegetable oil’’ she said.
Another respondent, Nurse Rosemary Makuda, said fake or adulterated oil can cause liver problems because of the chemicals used in mixing the oil. ‘’Continuous use of such oil weakens the immune system and can result in chronic illnesses over time.
‘’For the average consumer, the fake red oil doesn’t give the food a good taste, and it also doesn’t give the food a good look, while the original one is just perfect. If it is Jollof rice, for example, it will give it a very nice colour, and the food will taste good.
Similarly, a chef in Asaba who spoke to The Pointer, Lucy Michael, held, ‘’Knowing or getting good palm oil in the market now takes grace and luck. Everything we are eating in this country is either adulterated or chemical-based.
Now, the question is, can we by ourselves produce all we need? No, we still have to buy. I took out time for about three years in farming my vegetables, making small farm products and getting Akpu and Garri and yams for personal use, in-cluding making palm oil myself. When the last veggies got finished, I harvested my yams, and all that is left now is cassava. I haven’t checked on my farm because I got tired of paying for labour.
‘’I was enjoying fresh things, natural meals, but it was time-consuming and expen-sive as well. So, as it stands, we all buy as end users, and sometimes getting the good oil is by luck because not all of us can identify the real one. You might taste it and it is very clean and nice, but if it stays more than two or three weeks or a month in your house, it will give you another taste or even mess up your food.’’
‘’Everybody wants to make a profit, but if we can look into the things we sell to ourselves as edibles and understand the damage we are causing to ourselves, I think we all will have a rethink to know that everything is not about money be-cause health, they say, is wealth’’ she said.
Another consumer in Asaba, Mrs Merry Oberiri, observed that ‘’some (palm oil) have a strong smell, also you see them appearing blackish instead of the normal red, and once it is fried, it becomes foamy. Some sellers deliberately buy the adul-terated ones because they will be cheaper compared to the original oil.
A one-time palm oil producer, Mrs Nneka Richard, shared her experience. ‘’Back in the days when I used to produce palm oil myself, I enjoyed it and had a rest of mind. Presently, most of the time I buy my oil from a milling company, and I get it original and fresh. But the adulteration comes from those who buy from the mill-ing company, which turns out to be terrible when added to a meal.
‘’Over time, I haven’t experienced bad or adulterated palm oil because I deal di-rectly with the milling company, or it is sent from my village by my relatives or trusted ones. Sincerely, the adulterated oil, when added to a cooked meal, is al-ways awful and tastes so bad.’’
According to a seller, Goodness Chijioke, complained of the recent palm oil she bought, adding that ‘’the original palm oil barely sleeps; it is always fresh and smells well.’’
‘’Most palm oil producers add a particular colour to their oil to give it a red colour.
They do this to increase the quantity and in the long run, they reduce the quality and the taste,’’ she said.
Speaking with a trader in Oko Market, Asaba, Mrs Miracle Okerie explained that adulterated Palm Oil is common in the market. ‘’You can identify or differentiate the original from the fake by the colour. Palm oil’s normal colour is reddish yellow (bottom) and reddish black (top).
‘’Original palm oil smells fresh, while the adulterated one has an offensive smell. Its colour is tick reddish from top to bottom. If you go around now, before you pass two or three shops, you will see adulterated Palm Oil. Some people actually like it because of the colour.
Likewise, a secondary school teacher, Mrs Faith Solomon, said ‘’those who sell such products do not consider the risk involved, the harm it may impose on hu-man health. Before I buy my oil, I will first look at it, examine it through the bottle. The colour will tell you that the oil is already mixed.
‘’I once saw my customer in one of the markets around town mixing palm oil with one reddish thing in a small cup. I was forced to ask what that thing was, and she said it’s a red dye that will make the oil redder. One thing I discovered was that there is no difference between the red dye and palm oil colour’’ she said.
Residents in Agbor, the headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area of Del-ta State, shared concerns about the adulteration of palm oil in different ways. One of them, Mr Akinola Aladejowo, said palm oil has always been part of his dai-ly life, both as a producer and a consumer.
‘’I grew up around palm fruits, watching how they are processed into the red, rich oil that gives our meals that unique flavour. Over time, I learned that while palm oil is naturally meant for consumption and good for health, it can easily become harmful when adulterated. Sadly, many people today no longer get the real, pure palm oil because of how some producers and marketers try to increase their prof-it.’’
He observed that ‘’adulteration often starts when buyers add water to the oil af-ter purchase just to make it appear more in quantity. Sometimes, producers mix condensed or refined palm oil with fresh oil so it looks thick and plentiful enough for sale. Unfortunately, these tricks don’t just reduce the oil’s quality, they make it unsafe for consumption.’’
Another respondent, Mrs Diana Eghebi, said, ‘’As someone who produces and us-es palm oil, I can tell when the oil is pure and when it has been mixed. The smell is the first thing I pay attention to. Pure palm oil has a pleasant, natural aroma, but adulterated ones smell strange and strong. The taste also tells a lot; good oil has that smooth, rich, and satisfying taste, while bad oil tastes harsh and unpleasant.’’
‘’If I notice water or particles settling at the bottom of the container, I immediate-ly know it has been mixed. Pure palm oil maintains the same texture and deep reddish colour, even after staying for a long time. The adulterated ones, on the other hand, usually look cloudy or too light.
Another palm oil producer, Mrs Ifeoma Obiazi, said that palm oil is more than just a cooking ingredient, ‘’it is part of my culture and livelihood. That’s why I’m al-ways particular about its purity. As a producer, I believe honesty in production is important.
‘’As a consumer, I believe awareness is key. People must learn to recognise adul-terated palm oil and avoid it for the sake of their health. The difference between good and bad oil can be seen, smelled, and tasted and knowing that difference has helped me stay safe and enjoy the true flavour of real palm oil’’ she said.
One of the consumers of palm oil appreciated The Pointer for the educational, in-teresting and timely topic on the issue of palm oil adulteration, which will open the eyes of the consumers to be more conscious of what they consume daily.
Mr Abiamuwe noted that the rate of adulteration in Nigeria today is alarming and worrisome as it cuts across all sectors, ‘’even the so-called groundnut oil is also adulterated as well as building materials in the sense that everyone wants to make a huge profit at the expense of people’s health.’’
He confirmed that adulteration of palm oil is real, but the reason behind it may differ, as it may help to store the oil for a longer period of time, or it may be to in-crease the quantity and make more money. ‘’Adulteration may likely happen in the hands of the wholesalers who bought large quantities from the producers’’
Speaking further, he said the easiest way one could have identified an adulterated palm oil is in the taste, but there is no way a retailer will allow customers to taste the oil at the point of sale before paying for it.
Meanwhile, a medical expert and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of J B Maternity Home in Agbor noted that the continuous use of adulterated palm oil can increase cholesterol levels in the body, which is dangerous to the heart. ‘When cholesterol is consumed into our body, it can block the veins, and when the veins are blocked, it can cause stroke, among other ailments’’
Another respondent, Mrs Bridget Victor, said, ‘’It was when I came to Warri that I realised that they add colour to the palm oil. They do many of these things to avoid stress. They fill their gallons with the palm oil while there is still water inside. Those are the kinds of palm oil that spoil soup. They smell, and the taste in food is very bad, and most times that’s why some people request some specific village palm oils, not just any palm oil”
Also, Peace Sunday said, “It is not easy at all to know a good palm oil, but for somebody like me, I do order, but when I cannot make contact to order, and decide to go to the market, that is when I would start tasting palm oil like someone who’s taking an antidote for food poisoning. That is my technique, or a unique way I get to know a good palm oil from the bad one; I taste and I perceive.’’