FDA urges consumers to report fake and expired products
Mr Zakaria Braimah, the Upper East Regional Head of the Food and Drugs Authority (FBA), on Monday advised members of the public to report any fake and expired products to the authority for immediate investigation.
He urged consumers to carefully examine products such as drugs, cosmetics, food, medical devices among others for their expiry date before purchasing or consuming them.
The Regional Head encouraged the public not to be intimidated by activities of product distributors, agents and sales personnel who indulge in the sale and distribution of fake and expired products.
He further cautioned consumers to report to his outfit products on the market that do not have FDA authorisation, adding that exposing dealers in such products was the surest way of promoting safe public health and protecting consumers from harm.
According to Mr Braimah, the FDA apart from its own methodology in identifying unwholesome products, sourced most of its information from members of the public and therefore urged consumers to ensure that they reported such unlawful acts in the region to the FDA.
Mr Braimah who said these in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), in Bolgatanga, and said the FDA’s mandate was to ensure public health and safety and demanded that products were safe on the market and good for consumption.
The Regional Head said before a company could register products with the FDA, its owners were required by law to submit a dossier of everything involved in the manufacturing of the product and the content.
He conceded that it was not easy identifying fake products on the shelves because the imitators were crafty and cunning and seemed to make their products resemble the original and said when alerted, the Authority examined to confirm the authenticity of the product and act on that.
He said as part of its mandate, the FDA had rolled out a public education campaign to sensitise members of the public on how to identify fake and expired products when they visited shops to purchase products.
He warned traders who indulged in the sale of fake and expired products to desist from the act and said the FDA would pursue and prosecute such offenders as long as they don’t refrain from the illicit business.
Source: GNA