The Consumer Protection Council, CPC, has said that Mirinda and Lucozade soft drinks are unsafe for Nigerian consumers.
Dupe Atoki, Director-General yesterday said there are inconsistencies in the benzoic acid levels of the beverages.
Atoki said this during a media briefing on the outcome of the investigation into possible quality and safety issues affecting consumers of selected soft drinks and products in Nigeria.
The council said both beverages contained benzoic acid levels above the limit approved by the Nigerian Industrial Standard, NIS.
It said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that while the NIS limit for benzoic acid is 250mg/Kg when combined with Vitamin C and 300mg/Kg without Vitamin C, tests revealed that Mirinda, a product of 7UP Bottling Company, contained benzoic acid ranging between 0.56mg/L to 330.9mg/L.
It said Lucozade, formerly produced by Glaxo SmithKline, contained between 2.26mg/L to 323.53mg/L of the acid.
The council said the test was conducted at the Sheda Science and Technology Complex, SHESTCO, a laboratory under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
Meanwhile, the Council declared Fanta and Sprite safe saying they contained moderate benzoic acid. Fanta was found to contain a range from 5.09mg/L to 197.0mg/L while that of Sprite ranged from 2.82mg/L to 239.0mg/L.
Atoki said NAFDAC and SON have been informed of the investigation and has recommended regulatory action and review of the “benzoic acid limits in soft drinks as the current standard, which has been in existence since 2008 is overdue for review.”
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