Court rules Amstel Malt is not low sugar drink

Judgment was yesterday delivered in a suit filed by Professor Ernest Izevbigie against Nigerian breweries PLC, makers of Amstel Malt. In the case with suit number B/281.2017, the trial judge Justice Esohe Ikponmwen of the Edo State High Court 1, ruled that Amstel was a normal malt drink and not a low sugar malt drink as its adverts and product label portray. She said there was no clinical, statistical or nutritional difference to justify the low sugar claim. She also granted the second prayer of the claimant that Nigerian Breweries within 30 days should apologize to the claimant and other Nigerians so affected by the wrong labelling and advert. The trial judge however did not uphold the claimants third prayer that the product label and advert label was deceptive as she ruled that its sugar content was still within NAFDAC and SON’s parameters of sugar contents for malt drinks Speaking to newsmen after the judgment, the claimant Prof. Ernest Izevbigie expressed satisfaction with the judgment. His counsel Mr. Emmanuel said the judgment was a victory for the general public On his part, counsel to Nigeria Breweries, Mr. O. Ogiefere who was absent in court told Daily Times in a telephone interview that his client will contest the judgment in a higher court. The claimant had taken the manufacturers to court over his perceived wrong labelling after he subjected the product to scientific laboratory analysis. Titus Akhigbe, Benin-City