Fanta-Sprite ruling: Consumer groups consider class-action suit against NBC

Some consumer advocacy groups in the country have threatened to institute a class-action suit against the Nigerian Bottling Company if it is established that an infraction has been committed against consumers of its beverage products, Fanta and Sprite.

A class-action lawsuit is one in which a group of people with the same or similar injuries caused by the same product or action sue the defendant as a group.

The President and Founder, Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria, Ms. Sola Salako, disclosed this to one of our correspondents in Lagos on Wednesday.

She, however, said that the first step would be to consult the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control and find out how it arrived at the level of benzoic and ascorbic acids to be used in producing soft drinks for consumption in Nigeria and why the global standard was different from that applicable in the country.

Salako said, “First, we have to ascertain from NAFDAC how they arrived at a different standard limit of benzoic acid for soft drinks meant for consumption in Nigeria. What is the condition of the laboratories that the tests were carried out to determine this standard? In the last 10 years, how many studies have been carried out to determine the changes in the lifestyle of consumers?

“The standard limit of benzoic acid in the United Kingdom is 150mg per kilogramme, while the standard level for Nigeria is 250mg/kg. That is too high!”

Punch, March 16, 2017

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