By Yinka Akanbi
Christmas is here and there is excitement in the air inspite of bitting economic hardship in the land.
In many homes, decorations are up and preparations are in top gear. While several households are shopping in anticipation of the big day there is need for great caution while purchasing drinks.
Recently, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) busted shops-turned factories of counterfeiters involved in the production of a variety of beverages, including wines, soft drinks and consumables in Eziukwu Market in Aba, Abia State.
The Agency went ahead to release a list of adulterated wines and drinks in circulation. These include: Seaman Schnapps, Henessy, Four Cousins, Carlo Rossi,a Jenney, Chelsea London Dry Gin, Schnapp Dry Gin, McDowells, Black Labels, Gordons, Martell, Campari, Smirnoff Ice, Eva Non-Alcoholic Drink, Evra Non-Alcoholic Drink, Cartel among others.
The adulteration of alcoholic beverages by criminal elements in the country is done by mixing of cheaper sources of sugar and starch besides grapes or fruit, among other harmful chemicals unsuitable for human consumption.
It is noteworthy that consuming fake drinks can cause nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blue tinged or pale skin, irregular or slow breathing, low body temperature, unconsciousness or passing out, kidney and liver failure or even death.
In the spirit of the Yuletide, TCN has compiled a few ways to identify these fake drinks, should you stumble upon them when shopping for yourself and loved ones:
1. They are cheap;
If the product you are trying to purchase is sold well below its normal market price or doesn’t seem to include normal taxes on liquors, then it is most likely fake.
2. Check if the seal is broken or damaged:
Inspect the seal on the bottle. If it is broken or damaged, then its content might have been tampered with.
3. Look out for foul odours:
Beware of bad smells. If it smells like paint stripper or nail polish remover, it is probably fake.
4. Poor packaging:
Also check out for poor quality packaging, spelling errors and badly shaped bottles.
5. Poor labeling:
Look out for the contact information and address of the manufacturer. If it is missing, the drink is fake. Also, any form of wrong spelling or grammarical error on either the name or address on the bottle is a strong indication that the drink is not original.
6. Bar Code Authentication:
Although not all original drinks carry bar code authentication on the label of bottle. But it’s always advisable to scan the bar codes attached before purchase or consumption. If no information is forthcoming after scanning with your phone, be suspicious of the drink, no matter how neatly packaged.
