The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has a fundamental responsibility to protect Ghanaians from unsafe food and other regulated products. Recent comments by its Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Roderick Kwabena Daddey Agyei, on the alleged misuse of chemicals to ripen fruits, however, raise troubling questions about the country’s food safety regime.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr Agyei acknowledged that the improper use of chemicals for fruit ripening could pose serious health risks. He explained that ethylene, a naturally occurring plant hormone, can safely be used for ripening when applied according to approved guidelines, but warned against excessive or improper application. He also cautioned against the use of acetylene, commonly associated with carbide, describing it as toxic.
The FDA, according to Mr Agyei, investigated a viral video showing the alleged practice at Madina Market and found the concerns to be genuine. The Authority subsequently identified a person who was procuring chemicals and selling them in small quantities to traders for fruit ripening. He said regulatory action had been taken against the individual.
Yet, when asked whether anyone had been sanctioned, Mr Agyei could not immediately provide details, explaining that the records would have to be retrieved. This response is unsatisfactory. Where potentially harmful substances are deliberately misused in food production, the public deserves clarity about enforcement action. Sanctions are not merely punitive; they are intended to deter others from endangering consumers.
More worrying is the FDA’s admission that the problem is not confined to Madina. Mr Agyei said “People are abusing this chemical all around,” suggesting that the issue may be broader than the incident that came to public attention through social media.
The interview also exposed significant weaknesses in Ghana’s food traceability system. MrAgyei conceded that while traceability is relatively straightforward for pre-packaged foods, it is “not as thorough as you would want to see” for fresh agricultural produce. The FDA relies, in part, on informal systems used by market women and aggregators to identify the sources of produce.
The Chronicle commends the FDA for taking action to address an issue that has become a major topic of concern in Ghanaian homes. However, we remain particularly concerned about the weaknesses exposed in the country’s food traceability system.
In an era when technology is increasingly being deployed to enhance accountability and protect public safety, Ghana cannot continue to rely heavily on informal systems to determine the origins of food products.
An effective traceability system should make it possible to quickly identify the source of contaminated or adulterated food, facilitate its withdrawal from the market and prevent further harm to consumers.
We acknowledge the FDA’s explanation that surveillance is risk-based and constrained by resources, and that food safety is a shared responsibility involving local authorities, environmental health officers, farmers, traders and consumers. But these realities cannot become an excuse for regulatory gaps.
The FDA’s core mandate is to protect public health and safety. If the Authority identifies unsafe practices, the public must know what action has been taken and whether that action is strong enough to deter recurrence.
Ghana’s food safety challenges extend beyond fruit ripening. Concerns about the absence of Front-of-Pack Warning Food Labels on processed foods and allegations surrounding other commonly consumed foods demonstrate the need for a comprehensive review of the country’s food safety regime.
The Chronicle, therefore, calls on the FDA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), district assemblies and other relevant institutions to strengthen surveillance, enforcement and traceability. Ghana must embrace technology that can track food from farm to market and make accountability easier.
The public should not have to wait for a viral video before regulators discover potentially dangerous practices. The FDA must rise to the occasion. Ghanaians deserve a food safety system that is proactive, technologically enabled and, above all, capable of protecting consumers.
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