Purchase healthy food during this season - FDB

A member of staff at the Food and Safety Division of the Food and Drugs Board (FDB), Maria Aba Lovelace Johnson, has advised Ghanaians to be very vigilant when purchasing goods during the festive season.

She made this pronouncement in an interview on e.tv Ghana's flagship programme, Awake, with Ama Pokua Mensah.

She stated: “We have our staff there who are really up. They are very vigilant now because they know there are a lot of people who are bringing in things because it’s getting to the Christmas season.”

According to her, traders are aware of the high purchase of goods during Christmas seasons and so would want to bring out items that need not to be on the shelves for sale.

“We have a team of post market officers who are out in the market places, just trying to see which products are out there and which are even expired.

"Those that expose their products to the sun are those that offer their products to three to the prize of two or give away 'a buy one get one free' offer, because they know it has expired.

“At the end of the day if you don’t take the product, your sister will take the product, your husband will take the product, because they might buy from a hotel or restaurant or even a waakye seller around town and eventually you and your family members might consume whatever you are bringing in.”

Maria Lovelace Johnson added that, traders have to know the consequences of their actions and then the consumers too have to know what they have to do to ensure that they are safe.”

She urged Ghanaians to call the offices of the Food and Drug Board to lodge complaints in case of any hazardous food item in the market.