Some stakeholders in the food and beverage sector have rejected the federal government’s decision to place a ban on the sales and consumption of alcoholic beverages sold in sachet and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.
The stakeholders recently gathered under the umbrella of the Food Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FBTSS), and the National Union of Food Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), to protest the action at the NAFDAC Lagos office. They said over 500,000 workers in the sector risked losing their jobs as a result of the FG’s decision.
The NAFDAC ban is a fallout of the recommendation by the committee of the Federal Ministry of Health, NAFDAC and Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in December 2018.
NAFDAC had in 2022, taken the first step towards enforcing this ban by stopping the registration of alcohol in sachet and small volume PET and glass bottles below 200ml.
NAFDAC’s Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, also in an earlier statement, confirmed the enforcement of the ban on the importation, manufacture, distribution, sale, and use of alcoholic beverages in sachets, PET, and glass bottles of 200ml and below would commence as scheduled by February 1, 2024.
“As of January 31st, 2024, there is no alcoholic beverage in these categories that are registered by NAFDAC. I also want to inform you that the agency has started enforcement actions to enforce the implementation of this policy. The window period given to manufacturers by NAFDAC to sell off all alcoholic drinks in this category elapsed on January 31st, 2024.
“To this end on the first day, after the elapse of the window period, the agency commenced nationwide enforcement actions on February 1st, 2024 to enforce the implementation of the new policy,” she said.
The Vice Chairman, NUFBTE, Lagos Council, Emmanuel Idogien while speaking during the protest noted that with the ban, the production of the sachet alcoholic drinks which before now, passed through the normal NAFDAC checks would be left for counterfeiters who will in turn, hurt the consumers.
He said: “Most of our jobs are at stake. Many companies will fold up, especially those local industries that serve as raw materials to the producers.”
“With this ban, counterfeiters and moonshiners will have a field day which will give rise to various health problems”
The group further appealed with NAFDAC and the FG to withdraw the ban on the products and instead, enforce the laid down regulation and initiate public enlightenment on the proper consumption of alcoholic beverages.