Following the unveiling of adulterated wines, soft drinks and provision in circulation by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Nigerians have been thrown into panic mode, declaring that producers of fake products should risk death sentences....CONTINUE READING
Some Nigerians who spoke to The Point expressed worry over the damage these adulterated products would have done to their organs, unknowingly to them.
They said with the warning by NAFDAC which is almost becoming a daily occurrence, it means that their lives are no longer safe, lamenting that there was no sure way to detect fake products in the markets and stores.
Recall that NAFDAC recently unveiled a list of adulterated products in circulation, especially different kinds of wine from a wide variety of brands ranging from Seaman Schnapps, Hennessey, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi, Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapps Dry Gin, McDowell, Black Labels, Gordon’s, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel, and others.
There was also date revalidation for expired products like Peak milk, powdered milk, Ketchups, Yoghurt, Coca Cola products, packaging of fake and substandard products, which are later sold to unsuspecting members of the public for consumption.
The agency revealed that it raided over 240 shops turned factories where the harmful products were being produced and marketed, adding that the shops turned factories were very filthy, using water from very unhygienic sources, harmful chemicals, saccharin, colouring, dirty recycled bottles, and cloned packaging materials of other brands.
Notwithstanding the efforts of NAFDAC so far, producers of fake products are not relenting and a lot of Nigerians have expressed their fears, as majority of them claimed they have been consuming some of these fake products unknowingly.
They argued that chronic diseases that are rampant in the society such as cancer may not be unconnected with intake of substandard edible items.
Worried about the deadly implications of continuous sales of substandard products, concerned citizens asked the Federal Government, NAFDAC and the National Assembly to partner and tackle the menace.
They recommended the death sentence as a penalty for convicted producers and sellers of fake products, warning security agencies against compromise.
While calling on NAFDAC and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria to do more in curbing the recurring menace, Nigerians told the agencies to adopt the approach used by a former Director-General of NAFDAC, Dora Akunyili who became a thorn in the flesh of perpetrators and frustrated escalation of fake drugs and drinks in the country.
One of the citizens who recently got a pack of fake soft drinks in Lagos, Mrs. Nkechi Alisigwe, said, “We have almost finished taking the drinks when I discovered that they were fake. I didn’t bother checking the expiry date before and when my eldest child was going through the wrap around the bottle, she discovered that it was different from the one that we had taken.
“She raised the alarm immediately and I later discovered that the NAFDAC number on it was fake while there is a difference between the colour of the content and what we used to consume. I have been greatly disturbed over this because I and my family members have been consuming what could affect our health negatively.
A medical practitioner, Gregory Idoko said, “Consumption of these fake products could be responsible for cancer, Kidney and liver problems. You see some people who don’t drink alcohol or even smoke and yet they come down with chronic ailments. This is what happens when we live in a society of adulteration.
“From fake food products to fake beers, soda, pills, injections the list is quite long and the hazards of these things are enormous. Have we paused to think in the direction of the amount of unhealthy so-called “Organic body creams, serums and soaps in the market?
“Assuming we are ignorant, here are some side effects of skin bleaching/using harmful chemicals, which include high blood pressure; fatigue; light sensitivity; numbness; neurologic symptoms like tremors, memory loss, and irritability; kidney failure; lung damage and cancer, among others.
“Although I am pretty sure we know all this, we are consciously enabling the production and sales of these products. The fight against fake, unchecked commodities in our markets is a long one and I am sincerely hoping we are braced because as it appears, many Nigerians are dying slowly and most unfortunately, they are largely ignorant of the calamity that has befallen them.”
Nigerians have therefore called on NAFDAC to deploy Application that would be compatible to iOS and Android phones, to enable people easily identify the original from the fake products, as an effort to allay the fears of Nigerians.
“I think NAFDAC should look into creating an app that would be compatible with iOS and Android phones, where people can check and recheck the NAFDAC numbers on products they want to purchase,” a tech expert, Tobi Adaralegbe said.
Meanwhile, the Director General of NAFDAC, Prof. Moji Adeyeye, has blamed the menace of unwholesome products in the market on illiteracy, poverty and economic hardship.
However, Adeyeye said the agency had developed a device to check the authenticity of a product, saying, “If you have a smartphone, you can actually scan the back code on the product. It may not give you all that you need but it will give you an indication of where that product is from.
“That doesn’t mean the problem will disappear because most of these problems are tied to poverty, illiteracy and the economy. About 50 percent of Nigerians are illiterates; even those who are educated don’t read labels sometimes.”
She has, therefore, tasked consumers on scrutinizing branded drinks to distinguish them from counterfeits before consuming them.
She warned that drinking adulterated alcohol can cause nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness, and dizziness, blue tinged or pale skin, irregular or slow breathing, low body temperature, unconsciousness or passing out, kidney and liver failure or even death.
“Methanol, a substance which can be used in fake vodka, may cause permanent blindness. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in their Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health estimated that more than three million people died all over the world as a result of alcohol poisoning.
“Furthermore, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) ascertained that one of every 10 cancer cases in Nigeria can be traced to alcohol and 4.7 percent of overall cancer cases in Nigeria in 2019 can be attributed to consumption of adulterated alcohol,” she disclosed.
“NAFDAC wishes to advise that the members of the public should shine their eyes. We are using this medium to appeal to Nigerians to buy only NAFDAC registered drinks from reputable and licensed retailers, bars and supermarkets.
“If the product is being sold well below its normal price, or doesn’t seem to include normal taxes on liquors, then it is probably fake. Check for poor quality packaging, spelling mistakes and unusually shaped bottles. Look for the contact information and address of the manufacturer. If it is missing, the alcohol is fake.
“Inspect the seal on the bottle. If the seal is broken or damaged, then the contents might have been interfered with and are not safe to drink. Check for fake barcodes. If you have an app on your mobile that scans barcodes, scan it and see if it is listed as the correct product and beware of bad smells. If it smells like paint stripper or nail polish remover, then it probably is fake,” she added.
She assured that NAFDAC will continue to ensure that the level of counterfeit products nationwide is brought to the nearest minimum so that Nigerians will continue to consume only healthy and safe products.
“We wish to reiterate that in line with our mandate to rid the county of fake and substandard products, we shall be on the trail of these evil counterfeiters, and bring them to book. The public is enjoined to report any suspicious activity of illegal producers of adulterated products or similar activities to the nearest NAFDAC office nationwide,” Adeyeye appealed.
