The Consumer Protection Council (CPC) Tuesday read the riot act on Nigeria Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited mandating them to withdraw from circulation expired soft drinks considered harmful to Nigerian consumers.
At a press briefing in Lagos, CPC Director General, Mrs. Modupe Atoki, directed the soft drink bottling firms to provide the council with a Shelf Life Policy that will enhance the withdrawal of expired products from the market within 90 days.
The council said the order followed a consumer complaint it received regarding two half empty cans of Sprite, a product manufactured by the NBC under license and authority of Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited. It stated also that there were earlier allegations of rusty bottle tops, rusty cans and foreign particles in products brought against the firm, which necessitated its investigations.
The companies were therefore ordered to subject their manufacturing processes to the council’s inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with standards and regulations, and a review within 90 days, of their companies’ Grievance Resolution Policy to address compensation for injuries suffered by consumers.
Other demands by CPC include a review of the companies’ supply chain management policy within 90 days to include retailers in order to minimise the distribution of defective or expired products, as well as an order to review the policy that would make it possible for each of their products to be tracked without information from consumers.
Atoki stated that the order became inevitable due to Coca-Cola’s indifference to the issues raised in the commission’s queries.
She said, “The council, in accordance with the Consumer Protection Council Act, commenced investigation into the complaint on September 6, 2013 and concluded in February 2014.
“The council set up a panel which invited both companies to provide responses or positions they wish to take regarding the complaint and we provided them repeated opportunities to make representations, provide information and address sundry issues arising out of the complaints and their operations.
“While Nigerian Bottling Company cooperated with the council in the investigation, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, in contravention of applicable law, elected to adopt a rather hostile and flagrant approach to the council and its proceedings by failing, refusing, neglecting to attend, make depositions or produce documents in its possession.”
According to the CPC boss, an investigation into the two half filled cans of Sprite led to findings that some practices by the companies are detrimental to the health of its consumers including the discovery that the NBC had no detailed written shelf life for dealing with expired products.
“The council takes consumer protection seriously and will ensure that all international brands marketed in Nigeria meet the same high quality standard and grievance resolution policy adopted by them anywhere else in the world,” she said.
She said the order of the council had been served on NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited, adding that the management of the companies would be prosecuted if they failed to comply with the directives.
“Disobedience to the order of the council is punishable, upon conviction, with three years jail term or a fine,” she said.
The public relations unit of NBC, when contacted for comments, assured the company would react to the issue appropriately.
Source: Sun
