By Fred Obera on March 29, 2017 — The Lagos High Court judge recently ruled that the Coca-Cola products could be "poisonous"a decision which is likely going to affect the company's business and image in Nigeria. The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) was found guilty of manufacturing Fanta and Sprite with high levels of the preservative benzoic acid. The court ordered Fanta, and Sprite bottles to carry health warnings and awarded damages to a company affected by the regulatory body's negligence.
The Lagos High Court judge recently ruled that the Coca-Cola products could be "poisonous" a decision which is likely going to affect the company's business and image in Nigeria. The Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) was found guilty of manufacturing Fanta and Sprite with high levels of the preservative benzoic acid, and sunset yellow colouring chemicals.
In the manufacture of beverages, companies usually use benzoic acid and sunset yellow. Benzoic acid is also used to preserve acidic foods and beverages such as pickles, salad dressings, fruit juices, and soft drinks. Epidemiology has linked its side effects if over used to react with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in some soft drinks, forming benzene, which causes cancer and other illnesses.
Some reports suggest that sunset yellow may cause allergic or intolerance reactions in certain people, particularly those with a pre-existing sensitivity to aspirin.
In 2007, a Nigerian businessman Dr. Fijabi Adebo and his company, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Limited shipped Sprite and Fanta manufactured by NBC to the U.K. to sell at his shop in Manchester. Adebo's consignment was confiscated by the U.K. health authorities, who raised concerns on the chemical composition of his drinks, citing the excessive levels of benzoic acid and sunset yellow in Sprite and Fanta.
The U.K. health authorities destroyed the goods saying they contained excessive benzoic acid and high levels of sunset yellow and therefore were not suitable for consumption in the U.K. The excessive use of benzoic acid forms carcinogenic substances (that has the potential to cause cancer in living tissues) and the sunset yellow have been linked to hyperactivity.
Following the loss of business worth thousands of dollars, Adebo and his company successfully filed a case against the Nigerian National Agency For Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and NBC, Coca-Cola's franchise owner in Nigeria in 2008.
After a nine year court battle between Adebo, NAFDAC and NBC, the Lagos High Court ruled that NAFDAC should order NBC Plc to publish warning labels on Fanta and Sprite stating that "The soft drinks are poisonous when consumed along with Vitamin C".
The ruling is likely going to affect the company's business and image in Nigeria.
The issue is currently trending on social media.
I kindly advise all Nigerians to stay away from Fanta and sprite until NAFDAC certify it ok for drinking.