The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) is yet to disclose details of arrests, prosecutions or other sanctions against persons allegedly involved in the misuse of chemicals to artificially ripen plantain and other fruits.
The Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the FDA, Roderick Kwabena Daddey Agyei, said the Authority had identified a person procuring agrochemicals and selling them in small quantities to traders for use in artificially ripening fruits.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show (CBS), monitored by *The Chronicle*, Mr Agyei said the FDA investigated a viral video showing the alleged practice and established that the concerns raised were genuine.
He said the individual was procuring ripening chemicals and selling them “in tots” to traders at the market. The FDA, he added, had taken regulatory action by stopping the individual.
However, when asked whether anyone had been sanctioned, Mr Agyei declined to provide details, saying the Authority would have to retrieve its records.
“Have you sanctioned anyone yet?” the host asked.
Mr Agyei responded: “We have, that’s why I’m saying that the sanctions come in different forms. If you want us to talk about sanctions, then I’ll have to get records and then take you through.”
The response has raised questions about the extent to which the FDA is enforcing deterrent measures against practices that could expose consumers to harmful substances.
Health risks
Mr Agyei acknowledged that improper use of chemicals intended for fruit ripening could pose health risks, particularly when substances are applied at concentrations above approved levels.
He explained that ethylene, a naturally occurring plant hormone, is commercially produced and can be safely used for ripening when applied according to approved instructions.
However, improper mixing and application could result in excessive exposure, potentially causing nausea, stomach cramps, irritation and effects on the nervous system.
He also warned against using acetylene, commonly associated with carbide, for forced fruit ripening.
“Acetylene is toxic,” he said, adding that exposure could have immediate effects on handlers, while contaminated produce could subsequently reach consumers.
‘It is happening all around’
The FDA official indicated that the problem was not limited to the incident captured in the viral video.
“People are abusing this chemical all around,” he said, stressing the need for education, sensitisation and sanctions.
He said the FDA had begun engaging market queens and planned to work with the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to train fruit traders on approved ripening practices.
Mr Agyei also disclosed that the chemical involved was properly licensed in Ghana by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but stressed that its misuse remained a concern.
Traceability gaps
The admission comes amid concerns over Ghana’s ability to trace fresh agricultural produce from farms to consumers.
Mr Agyei conceded that while traceability was relatively easy for pre-packaged foods, its application to fresh agricultural produce was “not as thorough as you would want to see.”
He said market women and aggregators had informal systems for identifying the sources of produce, but these did not necessarily allow individual products to be traced to specific farms.
He cited an earlier case involving the illegal addition of Sudan 4 dye to palm oil, saying the FDA was able to trace the product through suppliers and market traders.
Resource constraints
Mr Agyei rejected suggestions that the FDA adopts a reactive approach to food safety, arguing that comprehensive surveillance and traceability of all food products would be expensive.
He said the FDA conducts market surveillance based on risk and available resources.
“If we haven’t picked any issues on, for example, yam, then you are not going to really focus so much there. It’s because of the resources,” he explained.
He stressed that food safety was not solely the FDA’s responsibility, pointing to the role of district assemblies and environmental health officers in monitoring markets.
He urged traders and the public to report suspected food safety violations to the appropriate authorities rather than waiting for incidents to become viral on social media.
The FDA’s admission that chemical misuse occurs beyond the specific incident investigated raises concerns about whether existing surveillance mechanisms are sufficient to prevent potentially unsafe food from reaching consumers.
Mr Agyei said the Authority would continue engaging market queens and other stakeholders, with plans to extend training programmes to markets across the regions.
For consumers, however, the central question remains whether those who knowingly misuse potentially hazardous substances will face sanctions strong enough to deter others from putting public health at risk.
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