Health ministry rests controversy over Fanta, Sprite

The Federal Ministry of Health has certified Fanta and Sprite as safe for consumption, contrary to recent widespread belief that both drinks produced by Nigeria Bottling Company (NBC) failed the UK benzoic test and are therefore harmful to consumers.
In a statement dated Friday, March 17, 2017 and signed by Akinola Boade, director of Media and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health, the ministry said its investigation revealed that both Benzoic acid and Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) are ingredients approved by International Food Safety regulators and used in many food and beverage products around the world.
This clarification became necessary following the recent court judgment on the case filed by Fijabi Holdings and another versus NBC and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), both joined as a nominal party.
An Igbosere High Court had ordered NAFDAC to order NBC to issue a mandatory warning on its Fanta and Sprite products stating that the contents should not be taken with Vitamin C in order to avoid poisoning.
But the ministry, after a meeting of its Department of Food and Drug Services, NAFDAC, and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) summoned by the Minister of Health to address the related issues, clarified that Coca-Cola products manufactured in Nigeria are safe for consumption.
On whether the levels of additives introduced in the drinks as preservatives are within specification, the ministry said that Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) is the organ established by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) to set internationally recognized standards, codes of practice, guidelines relating to foods, food production, and food safety.
It said each country or region is permitted to adapt a standard/limit of Codex based on country-specific scientific evidence such as environmental, storage and distribution conditions.
In the case of Benzoic acid, which it said prevents the growth of microorganisms which thrive more at higher climatic temperatures like in Nigeria, the ministry said the standard set by Codex was 600mg/kg until recently reviewed to 250mg/kg and adopted in 2016 (CODEX STAN 192–1995 revised 2015 and 2016).
With reference to the Codex standard and other relevant documents, it said the SON as the standard setting body in Nigeria in consultation with technical experts and relevant stakeholders elaborated the standard of Benzoic acid in soft drinks to be at 250mg/kg based on the national climatic and storage conditions and that this standard has been in existence since 1997 and revised in 2008 (NIS 217:2008).
The ministry further said the levels of Benzoic acid in Fanta (1 batch) and Sprite (2 batches) presented by the claimant in the court are 188.64mg/kg, 201.06mg/kg and 161.5mg/kg, respectively, adding that these levels are in compliance with both the Codex and Nigeria Industrial Standards.
It said risk assessment was conducted to ascertain maximum limits of food additives acceptable in foods, which took into consideration the environmental, storage and distribution conditions as well as the shelf life of food products.
NAFDAC and SON, the ministry said, regularly monitor the manufacturing practices of food industries and conduct laboratory analysis to ascertain continuous compliance with required national standards, and that a routine inspection was conducted at NBC by NAFDAC officers in December 2016 which was satisfactory.
The statement from the Health ministry also clarified the difference between the standard of Fanta and Sprite in Nigeria and United Kingdom. Due to the different environmental conditions obtainable in the UK, it said, the standard for Benzoic acid was set at a lower limit of 150mg/kg while in Nigeria it was set at 250mg/kg, even below that of Codex (as at time of production of that batch, Codex limit was 600mgkg), and food products being imported into a country must comply with the relevant standards of the destination country.
The statement also revealed that NAFDAC has processes in place to ensure products imported into the country are evaluated to ascertain compliance with required Nigeria Industrial Standards, adding that “the claimant did not obtain NAFDAC certification before export, otherwise he would have been advised on the required standard of the destination country”.
“In view of the above, we would like to advise all Nigerians to take medicines with potable water. This would help to prevent unexpected drug-food interactions,” the ministry said in the statement.
“For the benefit of the health of all Nigerians, all bottling companies are encouraged to insert advisory warnings on all products as necessary,” it said.

 

CHUKS OLUIGBO