By Abbas Nazil
The Lagos State Consumer Protection Agency (LASCOPA) has strongly warned consumers and producers against the dangers of exposing plastic-bottled drinks and water to direct sunlight.
The agency stated that such exposure poses significant health risks and could compromise the safety and quality of bottled beverages.
This announcement was made during a stakeholder parley and focus group discussion held on December 11, 2025, at the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), which brought together manufacturers, distributors, and consumers to address rising concerns over the safety of plastic-bottled drinks sold under sunlight.
The event, themed: “The Effect of Exposed Plastic Bottled Drinks to Sunlight and the Aftermath on Consumers,” focused on producers’ responsiveness to consumer safety issues.
The Assistant Director, Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Mr. Nasiru Abdullahi Argungu, highlighted that handling water and beverages in Nigeria presents major health challenges due to prevailing hot weather conditions.
He explained that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles used for packaging drinks should never be left under direct sunlight because heat and UV exposure can trigger chemical reactions harmful to human health.
Argungu advised that bottled drinks be stored at room temperature or cooler in shaded locations, far from solvents, petrol, paint thinners, household cleaners, and dry-cleaning chemicals.
He warned that exposure to sunlight can lead to the formation of carcinogenic substances, especially when preservatives like sodium benzoate interact with ascorbic acid, and can reduce shelf life due to ultraviolet radiation.
Additional risks include endocrine disruption from chemical leaching and microbial contamination resulting from degradation of the plastic material.
Argungu clarified that PET is considered biologically inert under normal temperature and pressure and has been approved for food and beverage packaging by global authorities such as the US FDA, Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority, and NAFDAC, with over 30 years of safe usage worldwide.
“The best practice is to avoid exposing bottled drinks to sunlight,” he emphasized, stressing that proper handling and storage are critical to maintaining product safety.
LASCOPA’s General Manager, Mr. Afolabi Solebo, noted that the agency had resolved 11,008 consumer complaints in 2025 alone, recovering millions of naira from service providers including electricity companies, banks, airlines, and transport operators.
The Director of Consumer Education, Mrs. Folasade Ashaye, said LASCOPA would continue to engage manufacturers to ensure that display dummies are used instead of placing real bottled drinks under the sun, a measure agreed upon in previous sensitization programs that many producers have failed to implement.
She warned that the dangers of sun-exposed plastic-bottled drinks are real and could contribute to cancer risk, emphasizing that public awareness campaigns and engagement with manufacturers would continue until permanent improvements in consumer safety are achieved.
LASCOPA reiterated that while plastic remains safe when handled correctly, preventing sunlight exposure is critical to protecting public health and ensuring the safety and quality of bottled beverages across Lagos State.
