Nigerian newspapers have reported a N1billion fine slammed on Guinness Nigeria Plc by Nigeria’s regulatory agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Guinness was accused of re-validating expired raw materials without approval.
NAFDAC also accused the company, which has been operating in Nigeria since 1962, of maintaining poor documentation and not complying with some of its regulations.
According to Punch newspaper, the local unit of Diageo has a two-week deadline to pay the fine.
But the the report said Guinness has denied the accusation and opened talks with NAFDAC over the sanction,
“As a responsible corporate organisation, we take these allegations which relate primarily to raw materials stored in one of our raw materials stores very seriously,” Peter Ndegwa, managing director of Guinness Nigeria PLC, said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“We are engaging NAFDAC for clarifications and resolution of the issues. “The high quality of products from Guinness Nigeria’s breweries,” he said, “has been attested to repeatedly not only by NAFDAC but also by the Standards Organization of Nigeria, as well as the internal quality controls of the Diageo Group.