FG Raises Panel To Probe Fanta, Sprite Content - Politics

minister of Health, Isaac Adewole
Bukola Adebayo and Ifeanyi Onuba
The Minister of Health, Prof . Isaac
Adewole , has set up a panel of experts
to investigate the controversies
surrounding the level of benzoic and
ascorbic acid in the soft drinks being
produced by the Nigerian Bottling
Company .
Adewole , in a series of tweets on his
verified Twitter handle on Thursday ,
assured Nigerians that the Federal
Government had convened a group of
experts, including food scientists and
nutritionists, to access the safety of
preservatives being added to the
beverages .
According to him, he will also meet
with officials of the Standards
Organisation of Nigeria.
He said , " A group of experts have been
convened to immediately investigate
and submit a report . I have also
requested a meeting with SON . The
issue goes beyond the legal aspects of
the court verdict . It is about morality .
" Nigerians need to know that we will
put their safety first . The questions
are: Is the Coca - Cola produced in
Nigeria safe? Is the acidity level
acceptable? What is the difference
between Coca- Cola products available
in Nigeria and the United Kingdom?
" Nigerians are justifiably angry as it
concerns the recent verdict of a case
involving an exporter. I have
instructed NAFDAC to liaise with SON
to address Nigerians immediately
concerning the safety of Coca - Cola
products made locally . "
The Lagos State High Court had
ordered NAFDAC to direct the NBC to
include a warning on the labels of
Fanta and Sprite bottles that the
products could not be taken with
Vitamin C.
Meanwhile, the National President,
Nutrition Society of Nigeria , Dr .
Bartholomew Brai , stated that the
internationally approved benzoic acid
levels for the preservation of
beverages was 600 mg .
Brai noted that while the body would
not tolerate any violation of standards
by beverage companies , it would be
wrong to assume that Fanta and Sprite
were not safe for consumption until
evidence suggest otherwise .
Meanwhile, the Consumer Protection
Council has said it has summoned the
management of the NBC to provide
detailed information about the
composition and all laboratory tests of
two of its products , Sprite and Fanta.
The Director - General , CPC , Mrs . Dupe
Atoki , who wrote to the Managing
Director of the company , stated that
the information to be provided would
cover the last 10 years, up to March
2017.
The letter , dated March 15 , 2017 , with
reference number CPC / HQ/ 2017 , was
made available to journalists in Abuja.
She said as the apex regulatory agency
in charge of the protection of
consumer rights in the country , the
CPC would be carrying out a detailed
independent investigation into the
laboratory processes as well as all the
composition of the company 's
products .
She said that the letter gave the NBC
seven days to supply the required
information for the investigation .
The letter read in part, " Pursuant to
the CPC Act, the council requests your
organisation (NBC ) to immediately
provide all papers , processes ,
statements , affidavits , motions,
arguments, exhibits and files in the
case that was the subject of the
judgement.
" Identify every witness that the NBC
intended to present at the trail ,
including all witnesses who testified
and others intended but who did not
testify. In addition , each witness
position and the role in the NBC must
be identified in your submission . "
The agency also directed the NBC to
" provide the composition of your
products , otherwise known as Fanta
and Sprite. Any and all quality
assurance or laboratory tests
conducted by the NBC or
commissioned by the NBC, or that have
come within the control of the NBC
with respect to Fanta and Sprite
between 2009 and March 2017 . "
The company was also directed to
identify the custodian of the
composition and component of Fanta
and Sprite in the United Kingdom and
the United States