The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has registered 527 food and cosmetics manufacturing facilities with 1,522 food and cosmetics products under its flagship programme -Progressive Licensing Scheme project.
The 3-staged licensing scheme is designed to provide the needed support to cottage /micro, small and medium scale enterprises to meet the FDA’s regulatory requirements in a systematic manner without compromising on the standards of quality and safety.
The project aims that, over the time, local manufacturers will obtain the necessary skill set and support to allow them produce high quality products that can effectively compete with similar imported products on the Ghanaian market.
Chief Executive Officer of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) Mrs Delese Darko at the passing out ceremony for 30 cottage industry manufacturers in Greater Accra, noted, the challenges of the SME’s in bringing their products to the acceptable standards of the Authority with respect to safe and quality products for consumption.
According to her, market monitoring and survey indicated the desire of a large section of manufacturing community in the cereal section lack the needed knowledge in proper hygiene, packaging, storage and therefore needed adequate support instead of being arrested for prosecution for the violation of the FDA Food standards.
She noted that, the key areas with food safety; good manufacturing practices, hygiene, consistency of quality food product, zero toxicity, cross contamination among others are not compromised.
Training of the trainees she said are monitored to ensure they move to the last stage of the project.
This, she said will include their facilities and their products.
She noted the rationale of the project which is a collaborative effort of the World Food Programme, Ghana Enterprise Agency, with the support of the Canadian govt and the Food and Drugs Authority.
She further noted the confidence that the local business could generate.
Godfred Sey/Ahotoronline.com
