We all agree that manufacturers have a right to ensure that fake goods are not marketed in their names and that their own goods are not marketed under fake names – John Conyers
One threat that manufacturers constantly face in their line of business is that of imitation (to copy something valuable with the intention to deceive or defraud). Imitation comes with devastating effects such as loss of sales revenue and profit margin and of course, damage to a brand’s reputation. This is why it is important that businesses take decisive steps to protect their products and brands from being passed off as the genuine articles. In a situation where one’s product is being replicated, the need to act urgently becomes paramount which brings us to the crux of this article.
Olam Nigeria Limited, the producers and marketers of Mama’s Pride premium quality parboiled rice is warning Nigerians of the fake bags of Mama’s Pride Rice being circulated as the real product. Apart from putting out a disclaimer and a health and safety warning, Olam Nigeria Limited has notified the food safety regulatory authorities (CPC, SON, and NAFDAC). It has also outlined five ways its loyal customers can differentiate the original Olam Mama’s Pride premium quality parboiled rice from the fake bags. Find them below:
Production Date Information
The genuine Olam Mama’s Pride bags of rice have a Production Date of January 2021 and Best Before December 2022. The fake bags on the other hand have a Production Date of June 2022 and Best Before 2030 which brings the Expiry Date on the fake bag to eight years. This is very suspicious as the required expiry date for rice is two years.
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Batch Number
Another way to know the real Olam Mama’s Pride rice bags is through the Batch Number which is written on side of the bag. This batch number is not present on the fake bags so, take note of this when next you purchase a bag of Mama’s Pride rice.
Font Style
The text on Olam Mama’s Pride bags has the same font style and spacing arrangement for the brand name as shown in the image below. The fake bag has a different font style and spacing arrangement.
Cooking Instruction
There is no heading of cooking instruction on the authentic Olam Mama’s Pride bag. Apart from that, the texture of the cooking pots is very clear, unlike the counterfeit bags which have heading of cooking instruction written on them with very dark cooking pots and unclear texture.
Nutrition Facts Section
Olam’s original Mama’s Pride bags have only 1st and 2nd horizontal lines under nutrition facts. The
Fake bag has 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th horizontal lines under nutrition facts.
The food we consume needs to be safe at all times. To ensure that we are consuming genuine Mama’s Pride Rice, we should patronize only accredited dealers and verified retail partners stores located nationwide.
Stay vigilant, stay safe!
