FDA closes down 4 supermarkets for selling unregistered products

By: Kekeli K. Blamey

Four supermarkets at Osu in Accra have been closed down by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for selling unregistered products.

The shops, whose goods were labelled in Chinese, are Jia Hua Agricultural Trade Company, Panda Mart, Downwind Sail and Hauang Jia YI Limited super­markets.

A team from FDA in col­laboration with the police, last Thursday, put under lock and key the Chinese-owned supermar­kets, which were selling pharma­ceutical drugs, cigarettes and food (consumables).

The FDA would also sanction the culprits to pay administrative fine of at least GH¢25,000 each.

The Head of Enforcement Di­rectorate at the FDA, Mr Vigil Ed­ward Prah-Ashun, in an exclusive interview with the Ghanaian Times, in Accra on Friday, said his outfit would supervise the supermarkets to re-label all their products in the English language.

He said the FDA would also ensure that the pharmaceutical products which were seized during a swoop two weeks ago were not sold at the supermarkets for the public.

Mr Prah-Ashun said failure by the culprits to register and label their products in English language was an offence, because consumers must be able to read the inscriptions on products.

He said that such practices contravened the Public Health Act and the labelling guide LI 1541, which required all products imported into the country to be labelled in English language.

He said this would guide consumers to know where the product was coming from and help them check on allergies.

Mr Prah-Ashun stated that the FDA would investigate how large quantities of the product entered the country.

He urged the public to part­ner the FDA in ensuring safety of consumers by reporting such practice to the Authority.

Mr Prah-Ashun appealed to the public to desist from pur­chasing such products, because their safety could not be guaran­teed.

Last month, a large quantity of unregis­tered products were confiscated by FDA officials from the four supermarkets.

According to the FDA, prod­ucts imported into the country should be written in English to allow for the identification of manufacturers, addresses, coun­tries of origin, and expiration dates, among other details, to guide the consumer.Pharmaceutical drugs sup­posed to be sold exclusively at pharmacies and not supermar­kets.Pharmaceutical drugs sup­posed to be sold exclusively at pharmacies and not supermar­kets.