Government Bans Sale of Potassium Bromide

Government has banned the importation and sale of potassium bromide because its use could cause cancer, low sperm count in men and could affect women's genes.

Mr. Kwamena Van-Ess, Head of the Food Division of the Foods and Drugs Board announced this when he addressed a meeting of the Bakers Association at Wa on Tuesday.

He said the board had intensified educational programmes to combat the sale of unwholesome food and drugs as they had negative effects on the health of persons who used them.

Mr. Van-Ess said measures had also been intensified at all the country's entry points to curb the influx of such banned drugs and urged officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and the Ghana Immigration Service to assist to achieve this goal.

He advised the bakers to add Vitamin C as supplement to their bread and other products instead of using potassium bromide, which had negative effects on

the health of consumers.

Mr. Van-Ess urged district assemblies to register all bakers in their areas so that those who flouted the ban could be identified and punished.

He said the board was carrying out market surveillance in some selected areas throughout the country to access how food and drugs were handled.

Mr. Godfred Bayong Tangu, Wa District Chief Executive appealed to food vendors to exercise a high level of personal hygiene to ensure the good health of their customers and warned that those who did not register with the assembly as bakers or food vendors would be blacklisted.