FDA sensitises consumers of Afram Plains on food safety

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cautioned consumers to be mindful of numerous promotional sales during the festive season to avoid consuming unwholesome, unregistered, and expired products.

According to the FDA, most of the “reduce to clear promotions” run by some retailers and wholesalers on the market come with cheap or low prices to attract consumers to patronise such goods, which were near expiry or unwholesome and they wanted to dispose off from their stock.

Mr Samuel Kwakye, Eastern Regional Director of the FDA who was speaking at a public education programme at Maame Krobo, Donkorkrom and Nkawkaw urged the public to avoid buying products which were unregistered by the FDA and asked them to also look out for information that indicated production and expiry dates for their own safety.

He said, “being careful of what you buy on the market helps you to avoid consuming products that are not safe and will compromise your health” and assured that, the authority would continue to exercise its mandate by enforcing the law to ensure the safety of all regulated products to promote public health.

Mr Kwakye called on the public to support the FDA by reporting any suspicion of food and medicines to any office of the FDA and assured them of confidentiality of complainants.

Mr. Peter Alordji, a Senior Regulatory Officer in charge of Industrial Support Services Units (ISSU) called on bakers who transported baked bread in car boots and on seats of commercial vehicles to desist from that act since it was punishable by law.

He explained that bread was “a ready to be eaten product” and therefore transporting it in commercial vehicles exposed the bread to chemical and microbial contamination, which posed a higher health risk to consumers.

Ms Juliet Adjeiwa, Regulatory Officer at the FDA, educated the public on adverse drug reactions of medications and the need to report them to enable the FDA to trace counterfeit and substandard medicines on the market.

Meanwhile, the FDA has intensified its sensitisation and education in various lorry parks and markets in the region, to ensure consumer safety as Christmas approached.