The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has intensified market targeting of unregistered baby diapers and other diaper products being sold without the required regulatory approval.
According to the Authority, they cannot vouch for the safety, quality or effectiveness of products that have not been registered and assessed under its regulatory framework.
The FDA disclosed that its two-day exercise is being conducted in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality, with officials inspecting shops, warehouses and other points of sale.
The authority disclosed that the operation is aimed at identifying and removing unregistered baby diapers from the market, adding that its checks will extend to all diaper products, including adult diapers, that do not have the required registration.
John Laryea Odai-Tettey, the Western Regional Director of the FDA, said the Authority cannot guarantee the safety or quality of products that have not undergone the required registration and assessment processes.
“Adult diapers and other related products found without the necessary registration will also be taken off the market. Unregistered products remain a major concern because their safety, quality, and effectiveness cannot be guaranteed,” Mr Laryea said.
In related news, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has cracked down on Arcan Bitters, ordering Unni Associates Company Limited to recall the product from the market within 14 days.
According to the FDA, the manufacturing facility located at Parkoso in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region has also been shut down.
The FDA disclosed that laboratory tests conducted on the 35% Alc/Vol drink revealed that it had been adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate, a Phosphodiesterase Type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The FDA highlighted that the inclusion of an undeclared pharmaceutical ingredient in a registered food product poses severe health risks to consumers.
The FDA further emphasised that the adulteration breaches Section 100(3) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits the production, sale, or advertisement of adulterated products or goods that deviate from prescribed safety standards.
The Authority also noted that labelling and packaging a food item misleadingly or deceptively constitutes a regulatory offence.
“The presence of Sildenafil Citrate in a food product poses serious health and safety risks to the public. Sildenafil Citrate can interact with other medicines to cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which may lead to stroke and heart attack,” the FDA stated in an official public notice. The regulator added that exposure to the substance “may cause long-term health problems, including loss of vision and hearing”.
“Arcan Bitters appears to have flouted all these requirements and more. Arcan Bitters is registered with the Authority as a Food Product (an alcoholic drink) and must not contain any drug substance,” the statement noted.
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