Pepsi, Coke cans to be taken off UAE shelves

The Ministry of Economy, in cooperation with other concerned departments, will start taking off the shelves cans of Coca-Cola and Pepsi that are sold at retail outlets for Dh1.50. Hashem Nuaimi, head of Consumer Protection Department the Ministry of Economy, said that the ministry decided to pull the products off the shelves for violation of consumer protection rules. Nuaimi said the companies reduced their can size without prior official approval. “Pepsi and Coca Cola violated rules when they reduced the size of the Dh1.50 can from 355ml to 300ml and removed the price tag,” said Al Nuaimi. He added: “The two companies requested that they would market their 355 ml size cans with a price printed on them. We were surprised by their move when they reduced the size [of the cans] and took the price tag off the cans.”

“What the Pepsi and Coca Cola did was unacceptable … because the two companies illegally reduced the size [of the cans] but maintained the price. In other words, they simply increased the price in violation of consumer protection laws,” he said.

Al Nuaimi said, “We took this measure against the two companies after we had received public complaints that the two companies had reduced the can size without decreasing its price.”