The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has sealed three milk production factories in Awada, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, over alleged non-compliance with acceptable production standards.
The commission’s enforcement team, accompanied by security operatives, raided the factories on Tuesday, destroying freshly produced milk stored in containers and being scooped into cans.
While speaking during the operation, the South-East Zonal Coordinator of the FCCPC, Ndidiamaka Obialor, alleged that the dairy products produced by the factories posed serious health risks to consumers.
Obialor said many dairy products sold in the market were adulterated and produced in unhygienic conditions.
She said the FCCPC, as the agency responsible for promoting fair business practices, enforcing competition laws and safeguarding consumer rights, would not tolerate such practices.
“We cannot fold our hands and continue to watch while these people produce poisonous drinks and sell to unsuspecting members of the public.
“Look at the environment where they are producing; it is dirty. They pick plastic bottles from the streets, rinse them with dirty water to bottle their soya milk.
“They produce in very unhygienic environment, they package them without any form of PPEs, they just handle with their bare hands. No treated water or any form of analysis on the finished products, they just package it and sell to unsuspecting consumers.
“They produce in very unhygienic environment, they package them without any form of PPEs, they just handle with their bare hands. No treated water or any form of analysis on the finished products, they just package it and sell to unsuspecting consumers,” she said.
Obialor lamented the increasing circulation of substandard products, warning that many constituted a danger to public health.
She added that the commission would continue its enforcement efforts to prevent such products from reaching consumers.
During the operation, the enforcement team, accompanied by police operatives, arrested the owner of one of the factories, while equipment and other items used in the production process were confiscated as exhibits.
