The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced a ban on the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles containing less than 200ml.
Kazeem Adeniran, NAFDAC’s Assistant Chief Regulation Officer for Investigation and Enforcement, made this declaration on Monday during a two-day enforcement exercise in Ota, Ogun State.
Adeniran revealed that the ban aligns with an agreement reached by a tripartite committee established in 2018 by the Federal Ministry of Health.
According to him, the committee, which comprised representatives from NAFDAC, the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), and other stakeholders, mandated distillers to cease the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles below 200ml starting from January 31, 2024.
Speaking on the enforcement exercise, Adeniran emphasized that certain companies were found to be in violation of the agreement by continuing the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles below the stipulated volume.
“These companies were still producing those alcohols below 200ml at the time we carried out this enforcement exercise, which is not supposed to be,” Adeniran stated.
“It is clearly stated after the meeting in 2018 that they should stop the production of such alcohol in sachets and pet bottles by 2024 and embark on production of alcohol above 200ml,” he added.
“Therefore, we are not expecting to see these alcohol sachets and pet bottles in any Nigerian market for consumption.”
Adeniran affirmed that products found in violation of the ban during the enforcement exercise would be destroyed.
He reiterated NAFDAC’s commitment to ensuring that goods sold to Nigerians are safe for consumption.
