The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has seized alcoholic beverages worth an estimated N300m packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml during enforcement operations in Lagos State. The seizures were made at Ile-Epo Market, Ojuwoye Market in Mushin, and Oke-Arin Market on Lagos Island. NAFDAC officials evacuated several cartons of the prohibited products from these locations.
Some distributors and retailers involved in the sale of the prohibited products were arrested during the operations. Investigations revealed that they were hoarding the products amid increased demand and rising prices. The enforcement operations were part of NAFDAC's efforts to ensure compliance with the ban on the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml.
The ban on the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml remains in force, and NAFDAC has warned distributors, retailers, and other operators against selling, distributing, or hoarding the prohibited products. The agency emphasized that the ban is irrevocable and that manufacturers were given years of grace by the Federal Government to stop producing the products.
In August, NAFDAC ordered manufacturers of banned alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and polyethylene terephthalate bottles below 200ml to recall the products nationwide or risk closure of their facilities. The agency vowed to fully enforce the Federal Government-approved prohibition, warning that the ban would be strictly implemented.
The seized products have an estimated value of N300m, according to NAFDAC. The agency's statement, shared on its Facebook page, did not provide further details on the number of people arrested or the specific products seized. However, it confirmed that the enforcement operations were successful in disrupting the sale and distribution of the prohibited products.
NAFDAC's enforcement operations in Lagos State are part of its broader efforts to regulate the food and beverage industry and protect public health. The agency has been working to ensure compliance with regulations and laws governing the production, sale, and distribution of food and beverages in Nigeria.
The agency's efforts to enforce the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml have been ongoing, with previous operations conducted in various parts of the country. NAFDAC has urged the public to report any instances of non-compliance to its authorities and to support its efforts to regulate the industry.
Key points
- NAFDAC seizes N300m banned alcoholic beverages in Lagos State.
- The ban on the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml remains in force.
- Distributors and retailers involved in the sale of the prohibited products were arrested during the operations.
