By KEMI AKINTOKUN

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered manufacturers of alcoholic beverages below 200ml to commence nationwide recall and stop further production of the products.

The Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye gave the order at a news conference held in Lagos on Monday to brief the media on its ongoing banned enforcement on the production and sale of sachets alcoholic and pet bottles below 200ml.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that NAFDAC in January announced a nationwide ban following the Federal Government’s prohibition of alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and pet bottles below 200ml.

Adeyeye had said that the agency unveiled its second-tier of its nationwide pop-up operations where banned pack sizes were found at distribution centres, leading to the closure of the factories that violated the agency directives.

She said the Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN) and Association of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE) were required by NAFDAC to sign irrevocable enforcement undertaken on behalf its members.

The D-G said the undertaken was by the unions to intimate their members to desist from producing the banned products before their facilities could be open.

The NAFDAC Boss said the agency also imposed investigative charges on defaulting companies found to have violated regulatory directives relating to the manufacture and distribution of alcoholic beverages in prohibited package sizes.

According to her, the affected companies are required to settle the applicable charges within the stipulated period and comply fully with all regulatory directives issued by the Agency.

Speaking further, Adeyeye emphasised that all recalled products shall be subjected to inventory verification and destruction under NAFDAC supervision in accordance with the terms of the enforcement undertaking.

She disclosed that before the reopening of any facility involved in producing prohibited alcohol, NAFDAC would require evidence that production lines for banned package sizes were permanently disabled or reconfigured to prevent repackaging.

“The dismantling or reconfiguration of the production lines shall be carried out under the direct supervision and verification of NAFDAC officers.

“The reopening and continued opening of any facility shall be subject to full compliance with the nationwide recall directive of the agency,” she said.

Adeyeye warned that companies that failed to comply with the undertaking risked severe sanctions, including continued closure, placement on NAFDAC’s Regulatory Watchlist, suspension or revocation of registrations, prosecution and other lawful measures.

She said that the ban on alcoholic beverages in sachets and pet bottles below 200ml in the country was not an abrupt decision, adding that it evolved over several years through consultations between regulators, manufacturers, and government agencies.

Adeyeye recalled that the agency, in 2018, raised concerns over the widespread availability of high-alcohol-content drinks sold in sachets and small bottles.

The D-G said regulators argued that the products were cheap, easy to conceal, and readily accessible to minors, prompting discussions with NAFDAC, Ministry of Health, Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, DIBAN and AFBTE.

According to her, a five-year moratorium was given to the manufacturers after argued that an immediate ban would lead to job losses, plant closures, and financial losses.

“A memorandum of understanding was signed in December 2018. The agreement provided a five-year moratorium for manufacturers to gradually phase out alcohol in sachets and small-volume containers.

“The industry was given until Jan. 31, 2024 to reconfigure production lines, shift to larger packaging formats and phase out sachet alcohol and small bottles,” she said.

She restated that the objective of the ban was to reduce underage drinking, alcohol abuse, and easy access to highly concentrated alcoholic beverages.

Adeyeye noted that the full enforcement was backed by an independent research that underscored the devastating effect of underage drinking.

It revealed that 47.2 per cent of minors and 48.8 per cent of the underaged procured drinks in sachets while 41.2 per cent of minors and 47.2 per cent of the underaged procured drinks in pet bottles.

According to the D-G, NAFDAC remains committed to protecting public health and reducing harmful alcohol consumption, particularly among vulnerable populations, including children and young persons.

She said the agency would continue to work with industry stakeholders while ensuring strict compliance with regulatory directives designed to safeguard the health and wellbeing of Nigerians. (NAN)

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