The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Wednesday raided markets in Aba for fake Power Horse energy drink, allegedly circulating in Nigerian markets.
Mr Festus Anumba, NAFDAC Zonal Head, Aba Special Zone, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the agency? acted after receiving complaints from the importer of the original product.
The company complained that? the product had been faked and circulasted in Nigerian markets.
He said that NAFDAC arranged with the police and was able to locate one or two shops selling the fake product at? Cemetery Market, Aba, and as such invited the owners for a meeting.
“We were able to locate one or two places. You know, in the market, once you start investigation in one shop the information would go round and before you know it, you will not be able to make more catches.
“We want to get information on their source, try to trace how it is imported and appropriate measures taken,’’ he said
Anumba, however, said that the agency was able to make some seizures.
He said that the fake product was not registered by the agency and therefore did not have a NAFDAC registration number.
The officer said the fake product had an inscription, “More Drink, More Energy.’’
He said the original product with NAFDAC registration number had at the top, “Non-alcoholic drink'' and “More Power, More Energy’’ written in English, and on the other side of it, written in French.
“That was the major difference plus some other minor packaging differences,’’ he said.
Anumba advised traders to stop selling the unregistered brand as the quality and safety could not be guaranteed, while the consumers should insist on seeing the NAFDAC registration number of products before purchasing and consuming.
“Any of it that does not have NAFDAC number means that it was not registered and the agency does not know much about it, therefore the quality and safety of it cannot be guaranteed,’’ the official said..
He said that the agency planned to assist market leaders to organise a sensitisation workshops as traders claimed ignorance about the quality of products. (NAN)