The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has begun the enforcement of ban on alcoholic beverages sold in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
The agency commenced the enforcement by targeting distributors at Rumuokoro Market in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
This was contained in a statement released by the South-South Zonal Director of NAFDAC, Pharm. Chukwuma Oligbu. The release was signed by the Public Relations Officer for the zone, Cyril Monye on Friday.
The Director also confirmed the discovery of large quantities of the prohibited products in two shops during the enforcement exercise.
Among the banned items, included hundreds of cartons of alcoholic drinks in sachets and PET bottles. This is even as the seizures were put on hold as the traders became confrontational, obstructing efforts to remove the products.
Oligbu revealed that manufacturers were given a five-year notice in 2018 to discontinue the production of these beverages. With the grace period expiring in December 2023.
The Director stated that the ban was officially announced by NAFDAC’s Director-General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, in February 2024.
“The ban of these alcoholic beverages was a decision of multilateral Committee set up by the Federal Government that involves all stakeholders in the business and NAFDAC will not standby while the lives of young Nigerians are been endangered by spirits,” Oligbu emphasized.
The Director, further warned manufacturers to cease production of the banned items. He stressed that NAFDAC will intensify its crackdown on offending companies and continue seizing such products from supermarkets, shops, and hawkers nationwide.
source: Daily Post
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