National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has banned the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles of less than 200ml.
Gatekeepers News reports that NAFDAC Assistant Chief Regulation Officer, Investigation and Enforcement, Kazeem Adeniran, announced the development at a two-day enforcement exercise in Ota, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, on Monday.
According to Adeniran, the ban is in line with the agreement reached by a tripartite committee set up in 2018 by the Federal Ministry of Health.
He stated that part of the 2018 agreement was that distillers, under the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), would stop the production of alcohol in sachets and pet bottles of less than 200ml with effect from January 31, 2024.
Adeniran said the committee was made up of representatives of NAFDAC, DIBAN and other stakeholders.
NAN quoted Adeniran as saying, “These companies were still producing those alcohols below 200ml at as the time we carried this enforcement exercise, which is not supposed to be.
“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.
“Therefore, we are not expecting to see these alcohol sachets and pet bottles in any Nigerian market for consumption.”
According to him, products found in companies visited would be destroyed.
Adeni added that NAFDAC is committed to ensuring goods sold to Nigerians are safe for consumption.
