FDA condemns irresponsible disposal of expired products

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has warned the public against the irresponsible disposal of unwholesome products such as expired household chemical substances, saying this is against the Public Health Act (851) of 2012.

Section 132 (3) and (4) of the Act states that, “A person shall not dispose an unwholesome regulated product without the supervision of the Authority.”

It adds that, “A person who contravenes subsection (3) shall pay a fine of not more than five thousand penalty units to the Authority.”

The Act states that individuals and companies are mandated to dispose off those products in consultation with the FDA, to ensure that the public did not have access to them either to be consumed or sold to unsuspecting public.

Mr Albert Ankomah, the Upper West Regional Director of FDA, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa that, some boxes of Shine Double Concentrated Tomato Paste were being disposed at Siriyiri waste landfill last Monday, September 2, 2019 without informing the FDA.

“We had information that somebody had gone to dispose Shine Double Concentrated Tomato Paste in plastic sachets at the Siriyiri refuse dump,” he said. “When we had the complaint we quickly moved in there and we observed that the tomato in paper cartons were scattered and the FDA had to gather them and then dispose them.”

He said the FDA is collaborating with the regional Police Command, to investigate the matter and take appropriate action against the perpetrators of the act.

Mr Ankomah said the products were near their expiration date, but that they were disposed of due to poor storage which led to blotting and leakage of the products and could not be sold to the public.

Mr Ankomah warned that any person or company caught disposing of unwholesome products illegally would be charged GH¢25,000.00 or prosecuted.

He appealed to dealers in household chemical substances, drugs, food products and other regulated products to contact the FDA for a certificate of destruction before destroying them.

Source: GNA