The Upper East Regional Acting Head of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Abel Ndego, has revealed that the Authority has destroyed over 400,000 unwholesome and unsafe products seized during market surveillance across the region.
Speaking in an interview with Mike FM, he said the exercise forms part of efforts to protect public health, especially as the Christmas season approaches.
Ndego explained that the products were confiscated during routine monitoring in various markets.
“Today we are gathered here to safely dispose of unwholesome, unregistered, expired and non-conforming regulated products that we have seized in the course of our market surveillance activities in the region.”
He stressed that the FDA’s operations are guided by its core mandate of safeguarding public safety.
“We all know that it is the mandate of the FDA to ensure public health and safety, and in doing this, we must ensure that we reach the markets of all products that are not in conformance with the law and with regulatory standards.” He noted.
The acting regional head disclosed that the items destroyed included expired cosmetics, unregistered food items, non-conforming household chemicals, and some pharmaceutical products.
“We have today seen that amongst the things disposed of, we’ve had expired cosmetics, unregistered food items, and household chemicals as well destroyed.” He stated.
Ndego cautioned the public to be vigilant during the festive season, which he said often sees an influx of unregistered products onto the market.
“This is a very important exercise because it reiterates the FDA’s commitment to ensuring that the public is protected we are gradually entering the Yuletide, and this period is prone to exposure to unregistered and unwholesome products.”
He further assured residents that the FDA will not relent in its duty to sanitise the markets and keep harmful products away from consumers. He also commended partner institutions, including the EPA, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Health Service and the Customs Division of GRA, for supporting the exercise.
Mike 105.3FM |Navrongo |Alexander Kubabom
