The Cross River State Government said it has removed all expired Coca-Cola products from major markets and drinking spots in Calabar and its environs.

The State Commissioner for Health, Inyang Asibong, said that a team from her ministry has been activated to mop up the expired products as she called on consumers to always check the expiry date of Coca-Cola before consuming it.

Asibong said that as she spoke, all expired Coca-Cola products in Calabar market have been removed due to the swift intervention of her ministry.

The expired Coca-Cola products were first reported in the state early in November when some consumers alerted the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Cross River Chapel of the problem.

As a result, some members of NUJ Cross River Chapel conducted its own market survey and found that expired Coca-Cola products were indeed in circulation in markets in the Calabar metropolis.

The journalists had earlier called on the Nigerian Bottling Company to explain to the public why its products which expired since August were still being sold to the public in the state.

According to a National Accord correspondent who participated in the market survey, it was observed that all Russia 2018 branded Coca-Cola plastic products had expired since August, while some Fanta products either expired in September or early November 2018.

When the journalists contacted the toll free number of the Nigerian Bottling Company, the firm confirmed that it is true that the Russia 2018 branded products expired in August. However, the company said it had told distributors not to circulate the drinks after August but they are greedy because the bottled products last for one year, while that of plastic last for only three months.

A major distributor of Coca-Cola products who spoke on condition of anonymity said that “We are aware that those products are expired but who will return our money. If we take them back to Coca-Cola, they will not refund our money. So we simply them push into the market with hope that consumers won’t notice it. We have to recover our money,” he said.