FDA TO GET TOUGH WITH INDUSTRY

The Food and Drugs Authority, FDA is to enforce Section 106 of the Public Health Act which mandates all food processing industries to have at least one qualified food scientist or food microbiologist on their payroll, to handle and oversee delicate aspects of their food processing system.

 Such personnel will be mandated to periodically share their laboratory test results with the FDA and in the event of any fraudulent or negligent act, will be held liable, with the possibility of the individual also losing their certificate. 

 The Regulatory Officer at the Food and Drugs Authority, P. A. Opoku announced this at a forum in Kumasi. 

He said the Authority as a matter of urgency, intends to launch a programme which will regularize free sampling of locally manufactured consumables on the market from such small scale industries. 

However, this will require funds to be allocated for the laboratory tests.

 Mr. Opoku said in an attempt to encourage and motivate consumers to readily report fraudulent food practices, plans are far advanced to make the FDA help line a toll free line. 

Management of the Authority also anticipates creating social platforms and a link on the FDA website to facilitate food fraud reportage.

 He explained that a fundamental requirement to arrest the food fraud menace is to protect the consumer from food crime.

This can be achieved through improvements to intelligence gathering, information sharing, monitoring the traceability of food ingredients and improved food fraud detection methods. 

Mr. Opoku said the FDA will undertake frequent visits to small scale industries for standards to be introduced and implemented within a short period of time, after which supervision and appropriate sanctions can be taken against offenders.

 He noted that one of the fastest ways of detecting fraudulent food products on the market id the use of rapid test kits. 

Mr. Opoku therefore asked research institutions, academia and all stakeholders to come up with rapid test kits to help FDA in identifying adulterated food products on the market. 

He explained that these test kits, compared to the traditional method of sampling from the field and analyzing later in the laboratory, will enable officers of the FDA to take appropriate regulatory decision right on the field.