We have been made aware of a safety alert notification issued by NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) in Nigeria issued on October 31, 2024, regarding NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant (50 ml) batch number 93529610, about the general European Union (EU) Rapid Alert System for Dangerous Non-Food Products (RAPEX). The batch is said to contain 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (BMHCA).
Based on current European legislation, the use of ingredient 2-(4-tert-Butylbenzyl propionaldehyde (LilialTM) in cosmetic products has been banned from the European markets as of March 1, 2022.
We wish to assure our esteemed customers that Batch No. 93529610 in question has not been marketed in Nigeria and thus never recalled by Beiersdorf, the owner of the NIVEA brand, as the legal manufacturer. The batch in question, in fact, expired in January 2022 and was hence at the time fully compliant with the then-valid European cosmetic regulation.
As a responsible corporate citizen, Beiersdorf is working collaboratively with NAFDAC to safeguard the interests of Nigerian consumers by ensuring that our locally manufactured product meets global quality standards.
The safety of our consumers remains our highest priority, consistent with our ethical philosophy as a business.
In pursuit of this commitment, Beiersdorf’s entire NIVEA product portfolio formulations have been reformulated to be Lilial-free formulas in full compliance with the EU Regulation on cosmetic products well ahead of its Lilial ban coming into effect as far back as March 1, 2022. For instance, the formulation of NIVEA BLACK & WHITE Invisible Roll-on deodorant has been Lilial-free since at least 2020 across the globe, including Nigeria.
Our trade partners were informed ahead of time and reminded of their responsibility to remove the outdated Lilial-containing products within the legal timeframe to fulfill their obligations with the European Cosmetic Product Regulation.