FDA cautions manufacturers, importers against unlabelled products

The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) have cautioned manufacturers and importers of food, drug, and cosmetics that the distribution of products not labelled in English contravenes Section 4 Subsection 3 of the Ghana Standards Board (Food, Drugs and Other Goods) General Labelling Rules, 1992 L.I 1541.

In a statement issued by the FDA, they explained that medical devices and household chemical substances that have been imported and not labelled in English also breaches the rules.

According to the Ag. CEO of the FDA, Delese A.A.Darko, the public should desist from buying and patronising such products and to inform the FDA of any regulated product found on the market with non-compliant labels by giving information.

Her comments follows FDA’s move to sanction Citydia, a departmental store, for blatantly flouting the provisions of Section 136 Subsection 2 of the Public Health Act,2012,Act 851 by offering detained/ seized non-compliant products for sale.

In line with its mandate of ensuring the protection of public health and safety, the FDA carries out market surveillance and import control activities to ensure that all foods, drugs, cosmetics, medical devices and household chemical substances locally manufactured, imported, sold and distributed in Ghana are safe, efficacious and of good quality.

In view of this, products imported by Citydia that were not labeled in English in accordance with Section 4 Subsection 3 of the Ghana Standards Board (Food,Drugs and other Goods) General Labelling Rules,1992, L.I.1541, were placed under detention.

The FDA then requested Citydia to provide English labels on the products under its supervision, following several interactions in that regard.

However, in spite of several attempts to get Citydia to conform, the FDA says it has no choice but to go ahead to take necessary regulatory measures against them.