Ghana news: FDA sets ablaze expired products worth over GH¢40,000

Ghana's Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has destroyed expired products valued GH¢41,027.9 seized from traders in the Upper West Region. FDA accomplished this task in accordance with the Public Health Act to ensure public safety.

The perished products deemed hazardous to public health included non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, toffees, canned tomatoes, canned or tin fish, milk, herbal medicines and other items. FDA seized those products through an operation mounted across the Region to protect consumers as the yuletide gathers momentum. Then the expired products were sent to the Wa Municipal Refuse dumping site for safe disposal as the official set them ablaze.

The Upper West Regional Head of FDA Albert Ankomah, said the products were seized after keen market investigations into complaints by several consumers. The concerns triggered a full market operation conducted by the FDA who deployed personnel to the field to ensure that products being sold were safe for consumption, Ghana Business News noted.

Albert Ankomah called on consumers to be bold to expose those dealing in unwholesome or expired items by reporting them to the Authority for immediate action. A person, what the law cites, caught selling expired products could be sanctioned to pay GH¢25,000.00 for products with low risk and ¢50,000 for products with high risk. They could also be jailed for a prison term of not more than 15 years and not less than four years, depending on the quantity of the expired products put in the market.