Under the public health act 2012, act 851 which gives the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) the mandate to confiscate products that are either expired or unauthorized by the organization yet found in the markets.
The exercise is usually carried out yearly by FDA to protect consumers from purchasing unwholesome products and also prevent the potential re-entry of these unwholesome products from the supply chain into the markets.
As a result, several unwholesome products are usually confiscated from the markets and destroyed to serve as a detriment to others.
In view of this, the Upper East Department of the Food and Drug Authority for the past one year has been able to confiscate some unwholesome products valued over a two hundred and three thousand cedis (203,181.64) from some markets in the 15 districts of the Region.
Speaking to the Media after the destruction exercise, the Upper East Regional Managing Director of FDA, Sebastian Mawuli Hotor,emphasized that the goal of the exercise seeks to rid the market off expired, counterfeit, contaminated, and all kinds of unwholesome products on the market.
“Today’s disposal consignment was seized from provision shops, Over the Counter Chemical Shops, Ware Houses, Herbal Clinics, Cosmetics Shops, and open market across the 15 districts in the region” He said.
Mr.Mawuli explained that one of the reasons his outfit usually burns unwholesome products was to serve as deterrence to actors involved in the distribution and production of such products.
Mr.Mawuli, however, added that his outfit does not carry out the exercises alone but it usually collaborates with the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ghana Standard Authority, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Revenue Authority, and other stakeholders.
He, therefore, encouraged the public to volunteer information about unwholesome products to his outfit as that will help FDA to achieve it’s prime objective which is geared toward providing assurance of safe food, drugs, and all other regulated products in Ghana.
Source: A1radioonline.com|Moses Apiah
