FDB worried about sale of deceptive candies

The Food and Drugs Board (FDB), on Monday expressed concern about the distribution and sale of deceptive candy products that actually have cigarette features.

A statement from the Board copied to the GNA on Monday named some of the products as Smoke Candy Marlbovo, Smoke Candy 888, Smoke Candy Hokt, Smoke Candy Sour 100, Camel Candy, Kent Lights, Marlbaro Lights and Zhonghua.

It said the outer packaging of the candies were designed to imitate popular cigarette brands with extensive labeling in Chinese and a little English without the lists of ingredients.

The statement said that: “The Packaging also failed to meet other provisions of the general labelling Rule of Pre-packaged Food Products, 1992 (LI, 1541), the statement said adding, the suppose candies had also been shaped like cigarettes.

“These candies, which were allegedly brought in from Togo have not been permitted by the Food and Drugs Board to be offered for sale on the Ghanaian market and therefore contravenes provisions of the Food and Drugs Law, 1992 (PNDCL 305B).”

The statement said the presentation of the candies and its packaging in the form of cigarettes had the tendency to predispose children, who were the principal targets of candies to pick the habit of smoking to the detriment of their health.

It said “The Food and Drugs Board would therefore wish to advice importers, wholesalers, retailers and the general public against, the importation, storage, distribution, display, sale, offer as a gift or prize any of the supposedly candies in the interest of public health and safety.”

The statement advised the public not to patronize the products since their safety and quality could not be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, initial investigations conducted by the FDB with support from the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service had led to the arrest of four persons, who were assisting the Police in their investigations, the statement said.

Source: GNA