Expired tuna rocks Takoradi

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned the public against patronising expired canned fish branded as ‘John West Tuna Chunks’ on the market.

Albert Ankomah, a senior regulatory officer of the Western regional office of FDA, told the Ghana News Agency that the authority received a consumer complaint on Monday, March 14 about the sale of the product at the Takoradi Market Circle by some hawkers.

He said an investigation was made and the FDA discovered that the product expired on December last year, but the distributor had used black pen to alter the date to December 2016.

Mr Ankomah said the products were seized, while investigations are currently underway to track the agents and distributors of the expired products.

“The hawkers were selling three of the expired canned fish for GH¢5, but our checks of the wholesale price of the product showed that one canned fish of that same brand costs GH¢ 11.60,” he said.

Mr Ankomah said there was the need for the public to alert the FDA when they spot anyone selling the expired products on the market since such products posed a threat to public health.

He said people found dealing in expired products would be arrested and prosecuted for dealing in high risk products and fined with GH¢1,500 penalty units while administrative charges amounts to GH¢ 50,000.