NAFDAC Uncovers N200 Million Worth Of Fake Drinks

The health risks which Nigerians are exposed to have once again been highlighted as The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has uncovered fake and unregistered products valued at over N200 million.

The products, confiscated through a whistle-blower’s report, were stocked in a building at 11, Omotosho Crescent, off Ewedana Street, Toll Gate, Ota in Ogun State. The building also served as production outlet for bitters with fake NAFDAC registration numbers.

At a briefing in Lagos yesterday, Acting Director-General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Yetunde Oni, explained that the building is a bungalow of five bedrooms, with two residential rooms, while the other three, the parlour and the kitchen were used for production of unregistered, deceptive and counterfeit products.

Oni, who was represented by the Director, Port Inspectorate, Mr. Kingsley Ejiofor, gave the name of the owner (withheld), adding that the products were being produced in a dirty environment by unqualified personnel.

According to her, empty plastic bottles, caps, cartons and sticker labels of other products were also found in the facility, while the address on the labels of all the products were fake.

Oni said the agency also raided Ogbaru Relief Market in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they discovered several shops used for the production, distribution, sale and storage of fake and counterfeit alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks of various popular brands valued at over N200 million.

The drinks, she noted, were produced by manual mixing in plastic buckets and filled into bottles under unhygienic conditions.

As most of the bitters produced in Nigeria are alcohol based, experts have warned on the health dangers of consuming fake alcohol based products. Properly produced and certified alcoholic drinks are made with ethanol – alcohol that’s safe to drink in moderation. But fake alcoholic drinks can be produced using other cheaper types of alcohol which can have serious adverse effects on your health. 

Drinkaware’s Chief Medical Advisor Professor Paul Wallace explains: “Commonly used substitutes for ethanol include chemicals used in cleaning fluids, nail polish remover and automobile screen wash, as well as methanol and isopropanol which are used in antifreeze and some fuels. These other types of alcohol can produce similar effects to ethanol in terms of making you feel tipsy. But they are also potentially very dangerous.” 

Drinking alcohol containing these chemicals can cause nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness. It can also lead to kidney or liver problems and even coma. Methanol, a substance which can be used in fake vodka, may cause permanent blindness.

“Drinking illegally produced alcohol should be avoided at all costs,” says Dr Wallace. “You don’t know what’s in it in terms of the actual chemicals – and you don’t know the strength of what you're drinking because it’s not been produced to the standards of commercial alcohol.” 

Jeremy Beadles, former Chief Executive of the Wine and Spirits Trade Association, believes most consumers won’t come across fake alcohol and says that it’s important to keep the problem in perspective. “The vast majority of alcohol is produced and sold legitimately,” he says. “Most pubs, corner shops, off licenses and other retailers are completely legitimate businesses and wouldn’t get involved with it.”

However, it’s important to know how to spot—and avoid—fake alcohol if you do come across it. 

According to the Trading Standards Institute, people need to remember ‘the 4 Ps’: Place, Price, Packaging and Product. 

Place: Make sure you buy from a reputable supermarket, off licence or shop.

Price: If a deal looks too good to be true, it most probably is.

Packaging: Look out for:

1. Poor quality labelling, including things like spelling mistakes. 
2. UK duty stamp—spirits in bottles 35cl or larger and 30% ABV or higher have to have a duty stamp, which indicates that tax has either been paid or is due to be paid on the contents of the bottle. They’re usually incorporated into the label or stuck on the glass. If it’s not there, it’s illegal
3. Properly sealed caps. If the seal is broken, don’t drink it. Even if it’s not illegal, it could have been tampered with. 
4. Fake bar codes. If you have an app on your mobile that scans bar codes, scan it and see if it’s listed as the correct product.

Product: Look out for fake versions of well-known brands and be wary of unusual brand names you haven’t seen before. Vodka, the most commonly counterfeited spirit, shouldn’t have any white particles or sediment in the bottle. If you see this, the vodka could have been diluted with tap water. If any alcohol tastes or smells bad, don't drink it. Particularly look out for the smell of nail varnish.

Categories: General