The Bono Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), Madam Akua Amponsah Owusu, has advised the public to carefully examine the expiry dates of all products they intend buying, adding that there could be circumstances during which customers would rush for products without examining the dates of manufacturing and expiration.
Speaking during a sensitisation drive embarked upon by the Authority at Odumase, near Sunyani, Madam Amponsah Owusu stated that a lot of illnesses contracted by people during the festive season could be a result of the consumption of products that were either contaminated or had expired.
The sensitisation was part of the FDA’s regular public awareness campaign activities to educate the public on the need to look out for wholesome consumables, and check the expiry dates of products they intended to buy.
“Whenever you are buying any product, please, spend some few minutes checking the information provided on the product label. The manufacturer is communicating vital safety and quality information to you, which include manufacturing and expiry dates, storage conditions, quantity etc. You need to ensure the packaging is intact, and for a canned product, there is no leakage, bloating or rusting of the can,” she advised.
As Christmas approaches, some traders intentionally sell their expired products to unsuspecting persons; thereby putting their health and safety at risk.
But the FDA says it would deal ruthlessly with anyone found to have engaged in the sale of expired products.
Madam Amponsah Owusu gave an assurance that from January next year, the authority would deepen its collaboration with the Environmental Health Departments of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies to effectively regulate the activities of food vendors, in order to check food safety and hygiene.
In this regard, food vendors who fail to meet the necessary standards, set under the various regulations, would face the appropriate sanctions.
Addressing the gathering, the Senior Regional Regulatory Officer of FDA, Richard Kyeremeh Yeboah, explained that food poisoning is caused by eating or drinking food contaminated with micro-organisms or germs, or by toxins produced by these germs. He added that most food contamination occurs during final preparation, transportation and storage stages.
According to him, symptoms of food poisoning typically appear between two to 72 hours and may last from few hours to few days after the infected products have been ingested.
“It’s especially important that anyone whose work involves handling or preparing food stays away from work whilst exhibiting such symptoms to avoid infecting others.”
