FDB confiscates contaminated chicken products

Accra, Jan. 13, GNA - The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) on Friday said its Post Market Surveillance Unit has found unwholesome chicken products in the Bulk Cold Storage Facility of Sucatrade Limited located at Tema Community One.

The Board, in statement copied to GNA, said the whole consignment of chicken products about, 1,000 cartons, had been confiscated for safe disposal to prevent its entry into the food chain.

It said inspection of the consignment showed the lumping together of chicken products and damaged cartons packed on the bare floor and against walls of the cold room in two large heaps.

The statement said the storage was under unhygienic conditions contravening Food and Drugs Law, which states:

“Any person who sells, prepares, packages, conveys, stores or displays for sale any food under insanitary conditions commits an offence.”

It said Laboratory (Microbiological) analysis of the chicken products showed heavy contamination by bacteria such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Thermotolerant Coliforms.

"The heavy presence of these micro-organisms renders the chicken products unwholesome for human consumption," it said.

However, the Board has debunked reports on the electronic media by Sucatrade that it was the company that alerted the FDB about the products and asked that laboratory analysis should be conducted to know the extent of contamination.

Mr James Lartey, Head of Communications FDB, in an interview with GNA refuted the claims and noted that it was FDB that rather refused appeals by Sucatrade to allow them to repackage the products because it was just a matter of tampered cartons.

He said the FDB's refusal was based on laboratory analysis which indicated that it had been contaminated.

Mr Lartey insisted that it was the post market surveillance unit routine monitoring that found the unwholesome chicken products.

He said the FDB would continue monitoring operations of Bulk Cold Storage Facilities to ensure that they adhered strictly to good cold storage practices and assured the public that it would continue to protect public health and safety.