The Upper East Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is embarking on a major market surveillance and recall exercise targeting fake cosmetics, unregistered cosmetic products, and skin-bleaching creams containing prohibited or harmful active ingredients across shops in the region.
The exercise forms part of the Authority’s efforts to protect public health and ensure that only safe, approved, and properly registered products are available on the market.
According to the FDA, the operation focuses on cosmetics suspected to contain skin-lightening agents such as hydroquinone, mercury, and other unapproved substances that pose serious health risks to consumers.
International health regulators have repeatedly warned that prolonged use of such substances can lead to skin damage, kidney complications, neurological disorders, and other adverse health effects.
Speaking during the exercise, officials of the FDA emphasized that the sale, distribution, and advertisement of unregistered products violate provisions of Ghana’s Public Health Act 2012 (ACT 851). The Authority noted that traders and importers are required by law to register regulated products before offering them for sale to the public.
The FDA said the recall operation is part of ongoing efforts to sanitize the market and prevent consumers from being exposed to unsafe cosmetic products. The Authority has, in recent years, intensified surveillance activities in the Upper East Region, leading to the seizure and destruction of various unregistered, expired, and unwholesome products.
Officials urged members of the public to carefully check product labels and FDA registration details before purchasing cosmetics and other regulated products. Consumers have also been encouraged to report suspicious products and unauthorized sales to the Authority for prompt investigation and action.
The FDA reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public health and warned that individuals found importing, distributing, or selling unregistered cosmetic products could face sanctions under the law.
The Authority assured residents that market surveillance exercises would continue across the region to ensure compliance and protect consumers from harmful products.
A1Radio|101.1MHz|Maame Efua Mensah|Bolgatanga
