FDA intensifies surveillance to stop influx of unwholesome goods

The Food and Drugs Author­ity (FDA) has intensified its surveillance to control the influx of unwholesome goods into the markets during this Christmas season.

According to the FDA, the monitoring at the markets and warehouses by the surveil­lance team of the Authority with support from the security agencies was to promote public health safety among consumers in the country.

The Head of Communications, FDA, Mrs Rhoda Appiah, stated this in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra on Mon­day, adding that the team had started vising markets and warehouses to ensure expired and unwholesome goods were not sold to the public.

“At the warehouse we are checking their storage practice, pest control unwholesome goods among others to ensure they do not flood the markets,” she added.

She said the public should desist from buy­ing goods near expiry, stating, that could lead to food poisoning with the resultant food-borne diseases such as diarrhea which could result in death.

“You must be vigilant and look out for date markings, batch numbers, clear writings in English, bloated cans and goods exposed to the sun before buying them for consumption,” she said.

The Head of Communications said the FDA had also intensified its education on food safety issues at the public places including the markets.

She urged the public to report suspicious activities by traders to the FDA for immediate action.

“Food safety is a shared responsibility all must endeavor to support the FDA to ensure public health safety at all times,” she added.

Mrs Appiah assured of FDA’s commitment in promoting public health safety and warned the traders to desist from activities that endan­gered consumers’ health.

“Traders must desist from any activity that endangers the health of consumers, when caught administrative charges would be impose, goods confiscated and disposed of and prose­cution,” she added.

She appealed to the media to collaborate with the FDA to intensify its sensitisation programme to the public to ensure food safety to the consumers.

 BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI