FDA destroys consumable items in Sunyani

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed food and consumable items in the Brong Ahafo Region to safeguard consumer safety and public health.

The items, valued at about GH¢86,749, were seized by the authority during inspections between January and May this year. 

The Regional Director of the FDA, Mr Matthew Gyang Nkum, who disclosed this in Sunyani, said the authority seized items comprising food, drugs, cosmetics, household chemicals and medical devices when it inspected 615 shops, including grocery shops, pharmacies and chemical shops in some towns and communities in 12 municipal and district assemblies (MDAs) in the region.

Heads of departments meeting

At a Regional Heads of Departments meeting with the Regional Minister, Mr Kwaku Asomah-Cheremeh,  Mr Nkum said the FDA received 13 consumer complaints, which had been investigated, with seven of them currently under special investigations.

According to Mr Nkum, the FDA organised workshops for 17 companies, made up of 35 producers drawn from herbal medicine, drinking water, cold store operators, food wholesalers and media houses, to ensure that only safe and quality products were sold to the public.

Challenges

Mr Nkum expressed worry over the peddling, sale and advertisement of unregistered products, especially herbal medicines, in the region.

“Even though the Brong Ahafo Regional Office of the FDA oversees regulatory activities in some parts of the Ashanti and Western regions, the authority does not have its permanent offices,” he said.

He added that the lack of effective collaboration of most assemblies and other stakeholders in the region was hindering their operations.

Mr Nkum, therefore, called for collaborative efforts to regulate slaughterhouse facilities and other regulated activities in the region.

Regional minister

For his part, Mr Asomah-Cheremeh entreated all regional heads of departments and agencies to submit quarterly reports of their sectors to the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), to keep it abreast of the implementation of government policies and programmes.

He challenged them to encourage their subordinates to cultivate and maintain positive attitudes to work, such as early attendance to work and avoiding loitering during working hours.

“It is important for us to set good examples ourselves for our subordinates to emulate and maintain high standards at our various departments and agencies,” he stated.

He drew their attention to the Public Financial Management Act, 2016, Act 921 which had spelt out responsibilities and roles of spending officers, such as heads of institutions, agencies, organisations, departments and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. 

FDA

The FDA is an authority under the Ministry of Health set up by the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851).

The objectives of the authority include providing and enforcing standards for the sale of food, herbal medicinal products, cosmetics, drugs, medical devices and household chemical substances.