NAFDAC seizes revalidated expired beverages in Jos crackdown
Expired alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages with altered expiry dates confiscated in NAFDAC’s latest enforcement operation in Jos.
NIGERIA – The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has confiscated expired but revalidated alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages worth N30 million (US$20.89K) from several shops in Jos, Plateau State.
The Director of NAFDAC North Central Zone, Kenneth Azikiwe, said the seizure followed a consumer complaint after experiencing health complications from consuming one of the affected products.
He explained that the agency’s investigation revealed the suspects had tampered with expiry date markings to extend the shelf life of the beverages.
“During the raid, we discovered that the suspects had a chemical which they used to erase the original manufacturing and expiry dates. They then reprinted new dates on the bottle necks to deceive consumers,” Azikiwe stated.
He urged consumers to always verify that expiry dates are clearly printed on product labels, not just on bottle necks, and to report suspicious or unwholesome products to the nearest NAFDAC office.
He also reminded the public to ensure all consumables bear NAFDAC registration numbers as proof of certification and authenticity.
Dr. Obida Gwary, NAFDAC’s Deputy Director and State Coordinator for Plateau State, condemned the illegal activity and emphasized the agency’s ongoing commitment to protecting public health.
He assured that NAFDAC would continue to monitor, investigate, and enforce compliance to ensure that unsafe products are eliminated from markets across Nigeria.
The operation in Jos follows a series of enforcement actions by NAFDAC against substandard and unregistered goods. In October, the agency shut down two Chinese-owned supermarkets in Abuja’s Jabi District for selling unregistered and improperly labelled products.
According to Adegboyega Osiyemi, NAFDAC’s Deputy Director of Public Relations and Protocol, the supermarkets were sealed for breaching Nigeria’s product sale and labelling laws, with goods worth over US$113,000 confiscated.
Many of the items were labelled only in Chinese, violating regulations that require English translations on all imported products sold in the country.
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