FDA destroys expired products in Wa

GNA – The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), on Friday destroyed 10,888 pieces of expired food, drugs, cosmetics and tobacco products at the Siriyiri landfill site in the Upper West Region, valued at about GH¢221, 585.00.

The Authority mounted market surveillance in all eleven districts and municipalities in the region and ceased the items from 245 provisions and Over the Counter medicine shops as well as warehouses, out of a total of 507 shops visited from January to December 2019.

Mr Albert Ankomah, the Upper West Regional Head of the FDA, who spoke to the GNA after the activity, said the market surveillance would continue unabated and cautioned shop owners to desist from selling expired products to the public.

?He said any person apprehended selling expired products committed an offence under Section 148 of the Public Health Act, 2012, (Act 581) and was liable to a fine of 2,500 penalty units (GH¢30,000.00).

“A person who fails to pay the penalty unit would face a summary conviction to a term of imprisonment of not more than five years in addition to the 2,500 penalty unit”, he added.

Mr Ankomah advised retailers to check for date marking – manufacturing date, expiring date and batch number – of products before buying them to sell to ensure they were fit for the market.

He observed that all products entering the Ghanaian market were required to have English Language as part of the labels, and asked retailers to check the labels to ensure they were buying fit products to sell.

Mr Ankomah entreated shop owners to also monitor products in their shops to ensure they did not sell expired products to the public and must always contact the FDA for safe disposal of expired items.

He also implored consumers to look out for the date marking on products they bought and should report to the FDA anytime they saw expired products on the market to enable the FDA to investigate such products.

GNA