Ladipo Sanusi/
A Judge in Lagos has warned that Vitamin C becomes poison, when taken with beverages such as Fanta and Sprite.
Justice Adedayo Oyebanji in a judgement delivered at the Igbosere High Court in Lagos on Monday ordered the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), to forthwith mandate the Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) Plc, to inscribe a written warning that content of Fanta and Sprite produced by the company cannot be taken with Vitamin C.
The Court also declared that NAFDAC has failed the citizens of Nigeria, by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption, products that failed sample test for human consumption in the United Kingdom.
The Court found that Fanta and Sprite become poisonous in the presence of Ascorbic Acid ordinarily known as Vitamin C, which can be freely taken by unsuspecting members of the public.
Consequently, the Court awarded a cost of N2 million against NAFDAC, for this negligence of duty.
The judgement of the court was sequel to a suit filed by a Lagos businessman, Dr. Emmanuel Fijabi Adebo, and his company, Fijabi Adebo holdings Limited against NBC and NAFDAC. He had urged the Court to declare that Nigeria Bottling company was negligent and breached the duty of care owed to their valued customers and consumers in the production of contaminated Fanta and Sprite soft drinks with excessive ‘benzoic acid and sunset’ addictive.
Dr. Fijabi also urged the Court to direct NAFDAC to conduct and carry out routine Laboratory tests of all the soft drinks and allied products of the company to ensure and guarantee the safety of the consumable products produced from the NBC factory.
In the amended statement of claim filed before the Court by a Lagos lawyer, Barrister Abiodun Onidare, on behalf of the claimants, it was alleged that sometimes in March, 2007, Fijabi Adebo Holdings Company purchased from NBC large quantities of Coca-Cola, Fanta Orange, Sprite, Fanta Lemon, Fanta Pineapple and soda water for export to the United Kingdom for retail purposes and supply to their customers in United Kingdom.
When the consignment of the soft drinks arrived in the United Kingdom, fundamental health related matters were raised on the contents and composition of the Fanta and Sprite products by the United Kingdom Health Authorities, specifically the Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council’s Trading Standard Department of Environment and Economy Directorate.
The findings were also corroborated by the Coca-Cola European Union. The products were found to have excessive levels of ‘Sunset Yellow and Benzoic Acid’ which are unsafe for human consumption.
Due to the irregularities and harmful content of the soft drinks which can cause cancer to the consumer, the claimants could not sell the Fanta and Sprite products resulting in appreciable losses, as they were certified unsuitable for consumption and were seized and destroyed by the United Kingdom health authorities.
The claimants alleged further that NAFDAC failed to carry out necessary tests to determine if the soft drinks were safe for human consumption.
The claimants averred that as a registered Exporter with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, they could lawfully export the products of NBC to any part of the world. They added that NBC was aware that the products they purchased were meant for export.
Consequently, apart from other reliefs, the Claimants were demanding for the sum of N15, 119, 619.37 million, as special damages and N1, 622, 000 million, being the money received from the claimants.
However, NBC in its amended statement of defence filed before the Court by Mr. T. O. Busari (SAN), admitted supplying the products, but contended that the product manufactured by the company are meant for local distribution and consumption, as the company does not manufacture its products for export. It added that Coca-Cola brand of soft drinks is manufactured and bottled by various Coca-Cola franchise holders in most countries of the world, including the United Kingdom.
NBC Plc denied that it was negligent in the manufacturing of its products as alleged. It argued that stringent quality control procedures were adopted in its production process to ensure that its products are safe for consumption of the final user.
It also denied that the damages alleged by the claimants was occasioned by its negligence or any fault from the company, pointing out that the level of the chemical components in its soft drinks is safe for consumption in Nigeria.
NBC stated: “Consequently, the claimants cannot recover any damages from the company occasioned by their unlawful exportation of products, which are meant for local distribution within Nigeria.”
NBC also argued that the prosecutors’ claims are speculative, frivolous and vexatious and should be dismissed with substantial cost.
NAFDAC filed no defence.
In proving his case Dr. Fijabi Adebo testified for himself while being led in evidence by Mr. Abiodun Onidare and tendered 12 exhibits, while the sales Operation Manager, Micheal Nwosu China, and the head of Central Laboratory, Abiodun Adeola Falana, both of NBC testified on behalf of the company and also tendered 12 exhibits.
In the judgement, Justice Oyebanji stated: “It is imperative to state that the knowledge of the Nigeria Bottling Company that the products were to be exported is immaterial to its being fit for human consumption.
“The court is in absolute agreement with the learned counsel for the claimants that soft drinks manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of colour or creed.
“It is manifest that NAFDAC has been grossly irresponsible in its regulatory duties to the consumers of Fanta and Sprite manufactured by Nigeria bottling company. In my respective view, NAFDAC has failed the citizens of this great nation by its certification as satisfactory for human consumption, products which in the United Kingdom failed sample test for human consumption and which become poisonous in the presence of Ascorbic Acid ordinarily known as Vitamin C, which can be freely taken by the unsuspecting public with the company’s Fanta or Sprite.
“As earlier stated, the Court is in absolute agreement with the learned counsel for the Claimants that consumable products ought to be fit for human consumption irrespective of race, colour or creed.
By its certification as satisfactory, Fanta and Sprite products manufactured by Nigeria Bottling Company without any written warning on the products that it cannot be taken with Vitamin C, NAFDAC would have by its grossly irresponsible and unacceptable action caused great harm to the health of unsuspecting public, the Court in the light of the damming evidence before it showing that NAFDAC has failed to live up to expectation, cannot close its eyes to the grievous implication of allowing the status quo to continue as it is.”
The Court then ordered that NAFDAC shall forthwith mandate NBC to, within 90 days hereof, include on all the bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks manufactured by the company, a written warning that the content of the said bottles of Fanta and Sprite soft drinks cannot be taken with Vitamin C as same becomes poisonous if taken with Vitamin C.
The court also ordered that In consideration of the fact that the case was filed in 2008, and that it has been in court for 9 years, costs of N2 million is awarded against NAFDAC.
The court also ordered that Interest shall be paid on the costs awarded at the rate of 10 per cent per annum until liquidation of the said sum.
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This is a little confusing to me, people have been taking medications with stuffs like this for many years without knowing the consequences of such an innocent act. Hopefully over the years, this has not led to any fatality otherwise, they should brace themselves for more court claims for compensation where it could be proven.