The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused Coca-Cola Nigeria Ltd and the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) of deceiving Nigerian consumers of its product in an attempt to maximise profit without consideration for the latter’s health.
In a document released on Friday, the Commission said the sweetened beverage producers had over the years produced different contents of the same product without informing the public of changes, especially with regard to alternating between sugar and sweeteners, reports New Telegraph.
The Commission identified a misleading trade descriptions and unfair marketing tactics in their products, Original Taste and Less Sugar. According to the document, the Commission found Coca-Cola Nigeria and NBC in violation of Section 116 of the FCCPC Act as well as section 124 1(a) of the Commission’s Establishment Act.
It found that the packaging for Coke Less Sugar was nearly identical to the original Coke, which could mislead consumers likewise two Limca variants, though different in taste and nutritional content, were sold in identical bottles with the same NAFDAC registration numbers, misleading consumers.
The Investigation revealed that NBC had provided false and misleading information to the Commission on multiple occasions.
