LASCOPA asks CWAY to improve storage, distribution of bottled-water products

The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has asked CWAY to improve the handling, storage and distribution of its bottled-water products following an inspection of the company’s production facility.

The inspection followed a viral social media video and complaints about CWAY’s products, TVC News reported on Thursday. 

LASCOPA officials inspected the production line, including bottle filling, capping and labelling, and checked how finished products were prepared, transported and stored before distribution.

During the inspection, officials found plastic bottles set aside for disposal because they were considered unsuitable for use.

CWAY told the officials that the discarded bottles were passed through a grinding machine and sold to plastic industries as raw materials.

The inspection report said company records showed that about 1,000 bottles were discarded each day.

LASCOPA’s recommendations

LASCOPA’s Director of Scientific Investigation, Research and Development, Suluka Raheem, asked CWAY to ensure that its packaging materials were properly cleaned, maintained and fit for use.

He also recommended that the company add suitable handles to its bottles to make them easier to handle and reduce the risk of slipping.

Mr Raheem asked CWAY to establish a shelf life for its bottles, “after which they should be withdrawn from circulation, whether damaged or not.”

He also urged CWAY to train and sensitise distributors on the proper handling and storage of its products, including ensuring that the bottles were not exposed to direct sunlight during transportation.

LASCOPA’s Board Secretary and Head of Legal, Arinola Momoh-Ayokanmbi, who represented the agency’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, Afolabi Solebo, asked CWAY to follow internationally recognised standards for transporting, distributing and storing its products.

“CWAY should adopt internationally recognised standards for the transportation, distribution and storage of its products,” she said.

She also urged the company to address the issues identified during the inspection and implement the agency’s recommendations.

NAFDAC requirements

The inspection comes amid national requirements governing the production and sale of packaged water in Nigeria.

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has guidelines covering packaged-water facilities, including packaging-material stores, production rooms and finished-product stores. The guidelines also prescribe hygiene measures intended to prevent contamination during production and storage.

NAFDAC regulates the labelling of bottled water sold in Nigeria and prohibits descriptions that are false, misleading or deceptive about a product’s character, quality, quantity or origin.

The TVC report on the inspection did not say that LASCOPA found CWAY’s water contaminated or unsafe for consumption. It also did not identify a specific breach of NAFDAC’s labelling requirements by the company.

LASCOPA stated that the inspection was aimed at assessing the safety of products available to consumers in Lagos and protecting their health, safety and interests.