Producers of natural mineral water, Voltic Ghana Limited, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and six other companies have been dragged to the Kumasi High Court (Commercial Division) for allegedly engaging in unfair trade practices.

These companies are Nivaansh Manufacturing Limited, A.R. Zare, Adat Water Limited, Straight Gate Ministry, Tasty Urban Water Limited and Right River Enterprise.

Century Investment, a limited liability company engaged in the production and sale of sachet water is seeking a declaration that the arrangement under which the six sachet water producers with its franchise of Voltic Ghana, have been producing sachet water under the label ‘Voltic Cool Pac’ constitutes “unfair trading, deception of consumers and the public, and passing off”.

The company is, therefore, asking for an order of injunction restraining the six companies and all other producers of sachet water from further producing sachet water under that label or brand name, the GNA reports.

It also wants the court to award damages and cost.

In its statement of claim, it said the companies have for some time now been producing “sachet water in 500 ml” with the label “Cool Pac” but on the larger packs containing 30 pieces of “500ml” sachet water, the name ‘Voltic’ is added to read ‘Voltic Cool Pac’.

It said even though Voltic Ghana claimed to have given the franchise to the six companies among others to produce, package and market sachet water with the inscription ‘Voltic Cool Pac’, the process used in producing bottled mineral and sachet water is not the same.

It insisted that it was unlawful for “a person to manufacture, label, package, sell or advertise a food in a manner that is false, misleading or deceptive as regards its character, nature, substance or quality”.