Ghana NCD Alliance, Vision for Alternative Development, urge public to read labels on food product

The Ghana NCD Alliance (GhNCDA) and the Vision for Alternative Development – Ghana (VALD-Ghana) have appealed to the public to read labels on food products on the market to avoid purchasing expired foods.

“We appeal to the general public to be cautious of products purchased on the market, spend some time to read the content, check if it’s been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority and most importantly check for the expiry dates,” they stated.

In a joint statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, the GhNCDA, and the VALD-Ghana, said: “We want to change the aftermath of festive season narratives where a huge number of people are rushed to hospitals to seek care as a result of excessive consumption of health-harming products.

It said during festive seasons the taste and desire for junk foods and sugar-sweetened beverages heightened due to the proliferation of advertisements that exposed children and young people to health hazards.

“This increases their risk of childhood obesity, which leads to various forms of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) that have the potential to affect their development,” the statement said.

It stated that homemade juices had been proposed as an alternative to high in sugar drinks sold on the market and admonished parents to consider trying these at home to reduce the disease burden on their kids.

“We must invest wisely this festive period to stay alive and in good health,” the statement added.