FG accuses Coca Cola of selling contaminated products
The Director General, Consumer Protection Council (CPC), Mrs Dupe Atoki, yesterday asked the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) and Coca Cola Nigeria Limited to, within 90 days, review their supply chain and policies in order to minimise the distribution of defective products.
The two companies must also subject their manufacturing processes to the council’s inspection for a period of 12 months to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations.
Speaking in Lagos over the investigation into violation of product quality standards by the two companies, Atoki said failure by the organisations to comply with the directive is a criminal offence.
She said the council had some time last year received a consumer complaint regarding two half empty cans of Sprite, manufactured by the NBC under license and authority of Coca Cola, and the council then began an investigation.
“The council set up a panel which invited both companies to provide any response or position regarding the complaint as well as to address sundry issues arising out of the complaint and their operations,” she said.
“While the NBC cooperated with the council in the course of the investigation, Coca Cola adopted a rare hostile and flagrant approach; refused to attend or make disposition or produce documents in its possession.”
Atoki said the council had been inundated with similar complaints such as rusty bottle tops, rusty cans and foreign particles in beverages.
She said after five hearings held between September 2013 and February, the council was able to substantiate the allegation of product defect and violation of CPC Act.
“In the course of our investigation which led us to two of their plants in Lagos and one in Abuja, our findings revealed that NBC does not have a detailed written shelf life policy for dealing with expired products; the grievances resolution policy they have does not cover instances where the consumer suffers physical injury from consumption or compensation in instances where replacement will not be adequate; supply chain management does not extend to retailers who the bulk of Nigerian consumers buy their product from as there was no proper traceable policy in place,” she said
“The council also directed at the end of its investigation that the consumer whose complaint necessitated the investigation should be compensated as well as payment of civil penalties to act as deterrent.”
She said that the council would ensure that any product under Coca Cola company’s license sold in Nigeria must conform to the same standard of the same product anywhere in the world.
In a reaction, NBC and Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited confirmed that the CPC recently carried out a product complaint investigation involving both companies in respect of two short-filled cans of Sprite.
In a statement, spokesmen for the two companies, Adeyanju Olomola and Clem Ugorji, said they cooperated with the council in the course of the investigation and provided the information in varying respects.
“As responsible organisations, NBC and CCNL take all matters relating to products very seriously and remain committed to maintaining the highest international quality management and food safety standards and certifications. Because consumers are at the heart of everything we do, both organisations also take a responsive approach towards satisfying customers and consumers,” the statement said.