The deceased persons suffered severe stomach ache after eating the akple and banku, and were admitted at the Hospital, where they later died.

[contextly_sidebar id=”iv2FUT4pFlh0Y4oDNTeMzisa4Vd0HWwM”]The FDA officials, who visited the town picked samples for analysis, and also forwarded them to the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) for further analysis.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the FDA stated that “Laboratory results received indicated the presence of Chlorpyrifos, a very toxic substance found in commonly used pesticides which when ingested can cause death.”

In the statement signed by the acting Chief Executive Officer of the FDA, Delese A.A Darko, she said they will forward the findings to the Public Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for further action.

Below is the FDA’s full statement 

Following the recent deaths at Akakpokope, a village in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region after the consumption of Banku and Okro soup, the FDA took samples of the food for analysis and forwarded samples to the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) for further analysis.

It may be recalled that on 4th of March, 2018, the Food and Drugs Authority’s (FDA’s) Volta Regional Office was alerted on a purported food poisoning incident involving two households after consuming a popular delicacy, Banku and Okro soup where the corn dough was made from tailings also known as “Gatemewor” by the locals which was bought from a corn mill owned by one of the affected families.

As indicated in our earlier communication, the FDA alerted the Regional Foodborne Disease Focal Person, other Public Health experts, officials from the Ghana Health Service, Municipal Assembly, the Ghana Police Service and the Municipal Health Directorate went to the scene.

The initial investigations of the team revealed that 8 people had been affected but five had passed on as at the time they arrived at the scene, and the three others were at the hospital. Samples of the corn dough and left over banku were taken and forwarded to the FDA Quality Control Laboratory on Monday 5th March, 2018 for analysis of which part of same samples were sent to the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) for further analysis.

Laboratory results received from the GSA on the 13th of March, 2018 indicated the presence of Chlorpyrifos, a very toxic substance found in commonly used pesticides which when ingested can cause death. This result confirmed the initial laboratory analysis conducted by the FDA Quality Control Laboratory on 7th March, 2018.

In toxicological analysis, there is normally no fixed turnaround time as being suggested by the Consumer Advocacy Centre in their statement since the analyte is not known from the beginning.

The FDA is forwarding its findings to the Public Health Directorate of the Ghana Health Service for further action.

As earlier communicated when the news broke out, the FDA is not mandated to determine the cause of death. This can only be established after a pathological Investigation.

We wish to state emphatically that as a Regulator, we need to be factual in every information put out to the public in order to avoid creating fear and panic.

The FDA would like to assure the general public that there is no cause for alarm as the corn mill from which the corn dough was sourced remains closed and the situation is under control.

The FDA appreciates the fact that increased consumer awareness of food safety issues has raised concerns regarding the authenticity of some foods on the Ghanaian market and the FDA is committed to addressing these concerns.

–

By: Farida Yusif/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Banku deaths: Lab results reveal toxic substance in corn dough appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Association’s President, Joseph Obeng, said that presence of fake cables was an indictment on the GSA’s regulatory standards at the ports, since the Authority shirked its responsibility of checking the influx of these fake cables.

[contextly_sidebar id=”XwmZiT4pdTkpKjpENm89MBk9p4DhH2cq”]The Director-General of the Authority, Alex Dodoo, had revealed to the media that, only two local electrical cable brands passed its critical safety requirement test at its cable laboratory out of the 22 sampled.

The GSA had also stated that, a nationwide surveillance conducted revealed that over 70 percent of all imported electrical cable brands on the market were substandard and could cause fires.

But Mr. Obeng said indications from the GSA were ill-intentioned “because they [the GSA] have so many other imported cables that have come to their institutions for testing and they have all passed.”

He further held that the report “seemed to portray that all imported cables are not passing the test so it was not in good taste.”

GSA as gatekeepers

Whilst noting that there were some dealers that cut corners, Mr. Obeng said the “onus lies on the Ghana Standards Authority to make sure that we put a stop to this influx of inferior cables.”

He stressed that, “when you bring goods, they [the GSA] have to do the testing before they give the clearance for the goods to leave the port, and so it is an indictment on themselves because, in any case, how were those goods able to go to the market?”

GSA to name and shame

Deputy Chief Executive of the GSA, Dr. Poku Adusei, indicated to Citi News that the Authority will in due course publish names of electrical cable brands that failed its critical safety requirement test for conductor resistance.

–

By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Electrical dealers slam GSA over ‘fake cable’ report appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

According to the Authority, the taxes and charges shippers are made to pay at the ports, is having a toll on their businesses hence the need for the downward review.

In a Citi News interview at Bolgatanaga during an annual get-together of the Upper East Regional branch of shippers over the weekend, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the GSA, Sylvia Asana Owu, underscored the need for government’s intervention in the reduction of charges at the ports for exporters and importers.

“The concerns we have received from a lot of shippers in this country has to do with the charges and taxes at the ports. A lot of service providers serve the shippers at the ports. we have the freight forwarders, the shipping lines, the port authorities and even government agencies and invariably most of them end up charging for the services that they provide.”

“If a shipper pays so much in terms of taxes and charges, it will be passed onto the final consumer so if the taxes and charges are reduced at the ports, it will help us and so we are going to work with the Minister for Transport to ensure that these charges are reduced.”

Mrs. Owu admonished shippers to take pragmatic measures in processing the necessary documents for offloading their containers on time at the ports to avoid paying the huge cost on demurrage.

She hinted that, shippers would be sensitized on the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and the ‘Rotterdam Rules’ to meet international best practices.

Mrs. Owu swore in Mr. Francis Danso (Chairman) Alhaji Abdul Salaam (Vice chairman) Martin Akogti (Secretary) and Elizabeth Asaana (Treasurer), as the newly elected members of the Upper East Regional Shippers Committee.

–

By: Frederick Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post GSA appeals to gov’t for reduction of taxes at ports appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.