Omanghana
The Food and Drugs Authority has temporarily closed 59 food manufacturing and cold storage facilities in the Greater Accra Region over alleged licensing, sanitation and food safety violations.
The enforcement exercise followed a two-week routine inspection conducted across the Ga East and Ga West municipalities. The operation formed part of the FDA’s efforts to protect consumers and ensure compliance with Ghana’s public health regulations.
According to the FDA’s Head of Communication and Public Education, Mrs. Rhoda Ewurabena Appiah, the affected establishments comprised 44 food manufacturing facilities and 15 cold stores.
Many of the manufacturing businesses were water production plants. Facilities affected reportedly included Virgin Mineral Water, Hamatan Mineral Water and Delta Fall Mineral Water.
New Horizon Cold Store was also among the 15 storage facilities temporarily closed after inspectors allegedly discovered that meat and other perishable products were being kept under unhygienic conditions.
FDA officials said some water producers were using untreated water contaminated with algae. Inspectors also found that some facilities did not have ultraviolet sterilization systems to treat water before packaging and distribution.
The absence of sterilization equipment raised concerns about possible microbial contamination and the safety of products being supplied to consumers.
Officials further reported that nearly all 59 establishments were operating without valid FDA registration or the licenses required to manufacture, store and distribute food products.
Other violations included dirty production environments, improper storage practices and inadequate measures to prevent the contamination of food and beverages.
The FDA said the identified practices violated Section 130 of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which regulates the manufacture, storage and sale of food products in Ghana.
The temporary closures are intended to prevent the affected businesses from continuing operations until they correct the identified violations and satisfy the authority’s requirements.
Operators are expected to clean and rehabilitate their facilities, install the necessary safety equipment and obtain valid registrations before they can be considered for reopening.
The FDA said the establishments would be subjected to further inspections to confirm that corrective measures had been completed. Facilities that fail to meet the required standards will remain closed and may face additional sanctions.
Non-compliant operators could also be required to pay administrative charges of up to GH¢30,000, depending on the nature and severity of their violations.
The authority warned that operating without the required approval or reopening a closed facility without authorization could lead to further regulatory or legal action.
The inspection campaign is expected to be extended to other parts of the country as the FDA intensifies efforts to remove unsafe products from the market and improve compliance within the food industry.
Consumers have been encouraged to check the registration details of packaged food and water products before purchasing them. Members of the public have also been urged to report suspected unlicensed facilities or products with unusual color, smell, taste or packaging to the FDA.
The authority reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that food, drinking water and other regulated products available in Ghana meet the required safety and quality standards.
Source: Omanghana
