According to the FDA, the producers are confirmed by South African authorities as the people responsible for the outbreak of Listeriosis, a bacteria causing disease in South Africa.

[contextly_sidebar id=”W9qgaPIcbkrG5RTVwNusolTYyq6k9pC9″]A statement signed by Mrs Delese A. A. Darko, the acting. Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, said it has intensified its post market surveillance activities nationwide and any ready-to- eat (RTE) processed meat products from Enterprise Foods in Polokwane, South Africa found would be detained and destroyed.

It added that “in addition, vigilance at the various ports of entry has also been intensified, as no imports should be made from this company. Any products from Enterprise Foods in Polokwane, South Africa (a subsidiary of the Tiger Brands Company) will be detained and the necessary regulatory actions taken.”

The statement read: “Following news on the outbreak of Listeriosis in South Africa, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has intensified market surveillance and monitoring at the ports of entry for meat products from South Africa. The FDA has been in constant communication with the International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN) which shares food safety alerts.”

“Update from INFOSAN indicated that investigations conducted by the South African Authorities on the outbreak revealed that the affected RTE products are now subject to recall.”

The FDA said since Ghana is a known export country for Enterprise Foods, the INFOSAN has warned that there is a possibility of some of the recalled products having been exported to Ghana.

According to the FDA, Listeria monocytogenes is typically a food-borne organism, which causes the illness called listeriosis and can grow and reproduce inside the host cell. Listeria is a bacterium that is naturally found in the environment and is capable of surviving with or without oxygen.

“It therefore has the ability to survive and grow at temperatures as low as 0°C thereby allowing multiplication at refrigeration temperatures.

“It commonly occurs in soil, water, vegetation and in the faeces of some animals. Listeria monocytogenes has been associated with foods such as raw milk, pasteurized fluid milk, cheeses, ice cream, raw vegetables, fermented raw-meat sausages, raw and cooked poultry, raw meats (of all types), and raw and smoked fish. This fact, coupled with variable incubation period can range from 6 hours to 70 days.”

“The prevention of listeriosis is similar to guidance used to help prevent other foodborne illnesses. This includes practicing safe food handling and following the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food (1. Keep clean. 2. Separate raw and cooked Food. 3. Cook and reheat thoroughly. 4. Keep food at safe temperatures. 5. Use safe water and raw materials.)”

The statement said: “Additionally, persons in high risk groups should avoid consuming ready to eat meat products such as sausages, hams, patés and meat spreads.”

The FDA urged the public to read and carefully follow the shelf life period and storage temperatures indicated on the product label to ensure that products are not from Enterprise Foods, Polokwane, South Africa (a subsidiary of the Tiger Brands Company).

It urged the public to give information to the FDA on the following numbers and social media platforms; “0800151000 (Toll free on Vodafone and Airtel only), 0299802932 or 0299802933 (Hotline), 4015 (SMS short code), 0206973065 (Call and WhatsApp), Facebook (Food and Drugs Authority-GH), and Twitter (@ GH_FDA)”

–

Source: GNA

The post FDA to destroy SA meat products over Listeriosis fears appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A statement signed by Mrs Delese A.A Darko, Ag. Chief Executive Officer of FDA and copied to the Ghana News Agency, reminded all manufacturers and importers that the importation, sale and distribution of unregistered regulated products contravened the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851.

[contextly_sidebar id=”FOvcdEGgiIwSbtTjWZ7F3iPfT9Yrmy68″]The Act indicates that a person shall not manufacture, import, export, distribute, sell or supply or expose any regulated product for sale unless the Authority has registered the product.

All food products including: alcoholic beverages, orthodox medicines, food supplements, herbal medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, household chemicals, Tobacco and Tobacco products.

The statement said effective January 1, 2018 the FDA would strictly apply the appropriate administrative charges for the importation, sale and distribution of unregistered regulated products as per the Fees and Charges (Amendment Instrument, 2013, LI. 2206), which classifies the offenses into Low-risk products, Medium risk products, and High risk products.

The statement urged all manufacturers, importers, distributers, wholesalers and retailers of FDA’s regulated products to take note of the directive and comply accordingly.

The statement urged the public to patronise only registered products.

–

Source: GNA

The post FDA warns against importation, sale of unregistered products appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The increase in the sale of such creams has become a public health concern with many health practitioners warning against their use.

[contextly_sidebar id=”1n2bIClO8ng3ssOq5v924enGofpopQif”]Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing in Parliament on Wednesday, the Acting Chief Executive of the Food and Drugs Authority, Mimi Darko said they were also using laboratory tests to identify such creams.

“The bleaching agent in most bleaching creams is hydroquinone and the Ghana standard now is, there should be zero percent hydroquinone in bleaching creams and the Food and Drugs Board, being the regulatory authority, has taken that standard and we are now implementing it. So since January this year [2017], we don’t register a product that has hydroquinone in the product.”

The FDA has had meetings with cosmetic sellers on the market and “is working with them to ensure that those creams are not available on the market,” Mrs. Darko said.

“The lab is also testing to make sure that even if they try and hide it, we will find it is laboratory analysis,” she warned.

Aside from this, the FDA is also ensuring it is on top of food safety issues, which capture public attention when reports of alleged plastic rice and the like surface.

Mrs. Darko disclosed that the Authority has waged a relentless war on the sale of unwholesome food.

“We inspect restaurants. We go to the market places. We work with chop bar operators to ensure that they operate the chop bars under hygienic conditions. We educate all traders… we do a lot on food safety.”

–

By: Sixtus Dong Ullo/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post FDA bans sale of most bleaching products appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Ms. Maria Aba Lovelace-Johnson, the Head of the Food Safety Management Department, FDA said this at a training programme organised by the FDA for Environmental Health Officers of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).

[contextly_sidebar id=”U12jmY5E7GTmu1MwRRIbGqk9hXb7ielE”]She said the FDA had embarked on educational programmes and exercises from 2012 to 2016 and its time for enforcement.

“From the situational analysis done prior to 2012, we concluded that food vendors had very little knowledge on food safety so from 2012-2016 we embarked on education programme to enlighten them,” she said.

She emphasized that salad must be sold cold so food vendors must put salad on ice or refrigerated, meat and fish must be sold cold or iced.

“Because no one carries a thermometer around consumers should be able to feel the coldness in the salad and the food must be piping hot so that they will be able to see the steam coming out before they buy it.”

She also disproved certain myths Ghanaians have about food safety and storage and stated that fresh meat must be bought frozen just as fish is sold frozen to prevent microbial growth.

“Ghanaians believe that meat must be displayed unfrozen to prove that it is fresh. They also believe that food cooked must be allowed to cool down before storing in a refrigerator, all these are false and make room for microbial growth,” she said.

She said pathogenic food organisms were mesophilic and they grow best in moderate temperature, neither too hot nor too cold, typically between 20 degree Celsius and 45 degree Celsius.

She, therefore, added that the food safety department of the FDA will be collaborating with the Municipal Metropolitan and District Assemblies in order to be able to ensure the effective regulation of street vendors.

–

Source: GNA

The post FDA to commence food safety enforcement exercise appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.