The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has sanctioned a company that repackaged the alleged supply of expired rice to some senior high schools.
It would be recalled that the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu constituency in the Volta Region, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleged that a total of 22,000 bags of expired and repackaged rice were supplied to the various SHS in the country.
Speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Midday News, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs for the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Joseph Yaw-Bernie Bennie disclosed that the company was sanctioned for three key violations.
“We had this information so FDA went in with the Police and realized that the unlicensed facility is unknown to FDA so the first thing we did was to stop their repackaging processes. What we did was that we sanctioned them for three key points: First, the facility is not licensed for repackaging of rice, Secondly, FDA has not given permission for those activities to be conducted, and thirdly, the process was not supervised.” He said.
“So based on this, the FDA said the date on the rice as was seen on that day shows that the best before date had expired so what do you do? The first action to take was that we recommended that the product should be simply disposed of, that was the first recommendation made.” He added.
According to him, the health and safety of Ghanaians remain their priority so they will make sure the public is protected especially, students and children.
“I want to categorically state that the FDA as a regulatory institution will not in any reason jeopardize the health and safety of anybody in the country especially, children and students. FDA will not hesitate to handle unsafe products the way it should be handled. We have done this severally, products from outside to this country that are not safe for consumption, we destroy them.” He assured.
He said the FDA is working closely to address the case involving unlicensed rice repackaging.
Mr. Yaw-Bernie added that the expiring date on the rice had expired but after international and local laboratory tests conducted by the FDA, the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and a facility in India, they identified that the rice met quality standards for consumption.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
