JUST IN: FG bans alcoholic beverages in small sachets

The federal government has banned alcoholic beverages produced in sachets less than 200ml.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General, Prof Mojisola Adeyeye disclosed this on Monday while addressing the media over the development in Abuja.

She said the five-year window given to the manufacturers of the products to stop producing the drinks in sachets and pet bottles which began in 2018 elapsed on January 31, 2024.

She said enforcement of the ban commenced on February 1, 2024.

“This decision was based on the recommendation of a high-powered committee of the Federal Ministry of Health and NAFDAC on one hand, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Industry represented by the Association of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employers (AFBTE), Distillers and Blenders Association of Nigeria (DIBAN), in December 2018.

“As a commitment to the decision reached at the end of this Committee meeting, producers of alcohol in sachets and small volume agreed to reduce the production by 5 percent with effect from 31st January 2022 while ensuring the product is completely phased out in the country by 31st January 2024,” she was quoted as saying.

Tribune.