The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has seized about a truckload of flood-damaged bottled water and soft drinks that were allegedly being washed and repackaged for sale in Accra following the recent floods.
A press release signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the FDA and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said the products were found at a residence at Bubiashie in Accra after the shop of a beverage distributor at Alajo was flooded.
The release said consumer complaints alleged that the affected products were being cleaned at the residence with the intention of reselling them.
According to the statement, FDA investigations uncovered bottled water and soft drinks covered in mud, with both the bottles and their packaging visibly affected by floodwater.
All the affected products found at the premises were seized by the FDA for safe disposal.
The statement added that the Ghana Police Service at Kaneshie had received a similar complaint, arrested the owner of the products, who had since been granted bail, and seized a comparable quantity of the affected items.
The FDA warned that floodwater carried sewage, refuse, and other contaminants.
“Washing the outside of a bottle or a shrink-wrapped pack does not render the contents safe, as caps, seals and packaging are easily compromised when products are submerged in floodwater,” it said.
The Authority cautioned that consuming such products posed a significant risk of cholera, typhoid fever, dysentery and other water-borne diseases.
It, therefore, advised consumers to avoid purchasing products with mud stains, watermarks, or labels that are stained, peeling or discoloured.
The FDA also urged the public to be wary of products sold from unusual locations or hawked in bulk without a clear source and to purchase beverages only from reputable and licensed outlets.
“Any food or drink stock affected by floodwater, whether at home or in shops, should be safely disposed of,” the statement added.
Under the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), no person shall sell, offer for sale, or distribute food that is contaminated, unwholesome or otherwise unfit for human consumption.
The FDA stated that it is empowered to seize such products and prosecute offenders.
It further cautioned manufacturers, distributors and retailers whose stock had been affected by the floods not to wash, repack, relabel, or resell the products.
“Such stock should be quarantined and the nearest FDA office is notified so that it can be verified and safely disposed of. Failure to do so constitutes an offence and will attract the full sanctions available under the law,” the statement said.
The FDA noted that it would continue surveillance and enforcement activities in flood-affected areas to protect public health and safety.
It encouraged members of the public to report the sale of flood-affected food and drinks to the FDA, the police, or through the Authority’s official contact numbers, 0551112224 and 0551112225.
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