A few weeks ago, on August 3, 2025, there was a newsflash that bordered on food safety and was issued by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
Through a media release, the regulator cautioned the general public to stay away from Tasty Tom Enriched Tomato Mix “with immediate effect”.
The order was in response to safety violations at Nutrifoods Ghana Limited, a producer of the product.
The release further announced a market recall of all canned Tasty Tom Enriched Tomato Mix and some specific batches of the product in pouches (380g and 1.05 kgs).
The recall was made allegedly after consumer complaints and the FDA’s investigation of the company’s manufacturing plant, which “established infractions on standards and quality”.
It further stated that “maintenance of critical manufacturing equipment was poor and monitoring systems were inadequate to protect public health and safety”.
FDA release
The FDA’s release on that day attracted 204 likes, 43 comments and 102 shares in one media, while the social media handles of Graphic online, busy and active on the issue, yielded 373 likes for the FDA action, 64 comments and 26 shares.
Though the FDA took its share of the blame on social media, citing oversight negligence, Nutrifoods Ghana got blasted for their consistently poor standards, not only in the tomato mix but in some of its other consumer products on the market.
In nearly a decade of employment with a multinational fast food consumer giant with global brands, I learnt and understood the importance of food safety and security in the production chain, including the route to market, for the sake of the consumer.
In effect, the company not only had an image to protect as a manufacturing concern but also as a responsible institution concerned about consumer health and safety, which is the reason for their continued presence on market shelves and in homes.
So, to see a regulator come in as strongly as the FDA did on August 3 on Tasty Tom Tomato Mix gave cause for worry.
Supermarket presence
Merely weeks after the FDA recall of the tomato product, I visited two supermarkets this week to check the status of the product on store shelves and also gauge consumer selection.
My visit to both stores confused me because the product was on display.
It left me in bewilderment whether the FDA had reversed its decision three weeks ago without letting consumers know.
Alone with my thoughts, I recalled a comment someone made while in my presence at a meeting with some journalists.
He was of the view that journalists do not do well to demand accountability and follow up on public interest issues they report on.
In effect, there is no cross-checking or feedback on issues they report on with greater public interest.
My conscience has been pricked by this comment with the FDA sanction, and indeed, a few other issues. My reason?
This year, on March 29, I wrote an article in this column concerning a tomato paste research finding conducted by some food scientists from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in February 2025.
The research was to assess the quality of eight sampled tomato concentrates on the Ghanaian market.
Unfortunately, the research findings nailed down two tested tomato brands because they had traces of banned substances.
The two “culprits” were never named, and the media did not push enough to name and shame so that consumers could avoid patronage.
To date, the guilty products remain unknown.
Following up on public interest issues, I have decided to question whether Tasty Tom Tomato Enriched Mix has formally been cleared to be on shop shelves, seeing their bold, attractive displays and presence on supermarket shelves, as I discovered this week.
On my visit to the shops, I discovered 2kg canned Tasty Tom Enriched tomato mix and the 1.05 kg and 380g pouches prominently displayed alongside others.
The displayed production dates on the products were July 2025, with expiry dates of July 2027 and January 2027, respectively.
Can the FDA come again and let the consumer know, if the tomato mix they criticised fiercely as short of safety violations and consequently suspended production “with immediate effect” is formally back on shelves?
Can they tell the consumer if the product they declared a recall for is now fit for purpose?
Is it safe for the consumer to use the product?
The regulator should kindly declare which way to go for the consumer.
Writer’s E-mail: vickywirekoandoh@yahoo.com
