The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has issued a final regulatory order against Coca-Cola and the Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Ltd for engaging in misleading trade descriptions and unfair marketing tactics.
The order, issued on July 29, follows an investigation that began in 2019, which revealed that the companies had misled consumers into believing that Coca-Cola’s ‘Original Taste, Less Sugar’ variant was unchanged when, in fact, it had been reformulated.
The FCCPC found that the companies had violated Sections 116 and 124 (1) of the FCCPAct by failing to provide transparent and truthful descriptions of their products.
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Despite initially agreeing to work with the Commission to propose remedies, Coca-Cola and NBC abandoned the agreed-upon outcome and instead adopted a different business strategy that did not meet applicable standards.
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It also found that NBC had used identical packaging for its Zero Sugar and 50:50 variant of Limca Lime-Lemon flavored drink, further misleading consumers.
The final order contains the commission’s findings, and a penalty will be imposed in due course.
In addition, the FCCPC revealed that it reserved the right to take further regulatory action against the companies.
