FDA cautions against use of unapproved chemicals to ripen fruits
FDA Acting Upper East Regional Director Abel Ndego warns that improper use of ripening chemicals can leave harmful residues on fruits and expose consumers to health risks.
The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned fruit traders and the general public against the improper use of chemicals to hasten the ripening of plantain, banana and other fruits.
Acting Upper East Regional Director of the FDA, Abel Ndego, says the improper application of such chemicals could leave harmful residues on fruits and expose consumers to health risks.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Thursday, August 20, Ndego explained that while there are scientifically approved methods of controlling fruit ripening, such chemicals must be used strictly according to prescribed dosage and application instructions.
He warned that failure to observe the required withdrawal period could result in consumers eating fruits while the chemical remains in its active and potentially toxic state.
“Using chemicals might not actually be wrong, but their appropriate application becomes the issue,” he said.
Ndego disclosed that the FDA is investigating a particular chemical reportedly being used to facilitate the ripening of plantain and banana, including how the substance enters the country.
He said some individuals had voluntarily provided information to the Authority as part of the investigation, while the FDA is also engaging relevant stakeholders to prevent potentially harmful chemicals from entering the country or being improperly used.
According to him, the Upper East Region faces particular risks because plantain and banana are not significantly produced locally, creating an incentive for traders to preserve the fruits for longer periods.
He said the FDA was therefore engaging market queens and intensifying food-safety education, while officers conduct market surveillance to identify unsafe practices and prevent fruits containing harmful chemical residues from reaching consumers.
Ndego urged traders to desist from using unapproved or improperly applied chemicals to ripen fruits and encouraged the public to report suspected unsafe practices to the FDA.
He assured members of the public that information provided to the Authority would be treated confidentially and the identities of informants protected.
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