XMAS SHOPPING-HOW TO AVOID FAKE DRINKS!

I hope this isn’t coming too late as I expect almost all shopping to have been done by now. Let me share with you what you should look out for while buying wines and fruit drinks or sparkling fruit drinks. Let us get it clear that wines in Nigeria are blended wines and as such are just a mixture of alcohol and water, flavour (for some) and maybe colour. So for all the people posing as big boys over a bottle of “red wine” sorry to burst your bubble-that’s why I avoid those drinks like a plague.

For our religious brothers and sisters who also claim they are taking non-alcoholic wines, let me burst that bubble too, there is nothing like non-alcoholic wine, all wines are alcoholic. In fact, wines contains more alcohol than beers! It is expected that wines should contain between 10%to 15% alcohol. So those wines you call non-alcoholics are either fruit drinks, sparkling grape drink or carbonated fruit drinks.

Since bubbles are gone, let’s talk about how to identify fake wines and fruit drinks. I will try as much as possible to avoid calling of brand names but the most popular brand of fruit drink is the Eva brand and I’ll use that as example if I have to.

First, you should be aware that fake fruit drinks like Eva and others are so common that 7 out of 10 times you have bought, you bought the fake ones! Yes you did! Before I became a professional too I drank lots of them, thank God for food safety.  Now that it is Xmas, let’s discuss what you should look out for in these drinks.

First of all, no company sells wines with plastic corks anymore except for local cottage factories still trying to survive. So yes, plastic cork is a sure way to know you’re buying fake. How do you know it is plastic without opening? Did you have that on your mind? Ok these companies should pay me for this but then let me be nice, this is Xmas! Check the cork again, run your hands through it to check if it is plastic-a plastic cork will have ridges while the original will be smooth all through- another bubble burst. Also be sure that these original drinks comes in paper cartons and not nylon shrink wrapped. So when you see cartons of shrink wrapped fruit drinks, you probably just saw the fake.

 Now let us get it straight, for the top brands like Eva will not use plastic corks but how will you know good local ones that still uses plastic corks? That may be difficult to know, but let me tell you, when you pour a drink, it shouldn’t have sediments and the colour should not stain the glass. Any local drink you buy and has these attributes is bad for you, please do not consume at all!

Let me also use this medium to tell you that for soft drinks in pet bottles, there are plenty of fakes out there now too. Don’t fall a victim. If you see a pet bottle of any drink with scratches and half torn wraps, please do not buy or consume! That is probably fake too. You may also notice the shade of the cork slightly different from what you are used to, avoid that drink like a plague.

In the spirit of Xmas and celebrations, do not forget “when you’re not sure, do not consume”