The Brong Ahafo Regional Director of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) , Mr. Matthew Gyang Nkum,has called on the general public to check the labels of packaged foods like canned products before they purchase them in order to avoid consuming expired products ahead of the Easter festivities.
He advised the public to take note of certain important requirements on products before purchasing them.
According to him, consumers need to check the expiring date, batch or lot numbers, manufacturer’s name and address of the company before buying products from the market.
In an interview with Sunyani based radio Ahomka 90.5FM at his office, he said his outfit has put measures in place to prevent expired goods from getting onto the market.
He said they had intensified their checks at the markets and shops in the region, to ensure that expired goods are prevented from flooding to the market ahead of the holidays.
“We’re also doing public education, we’ve been on the radio stations in the region to tell people that they should make sure they look on labels before they buy the goods to ensure that they aren’t expired,” he told Ahomka FM.
He said “we always visit various markets in the region to talk to traders on how to ensure best sanitary practices are adhered to in the markets and also talked to them about not selling expired products” he added.
He cautioned consumers not to buy from women who display food items they sell on the ground, as it could easily give sicknesses to to them.
Mr. Nkum, urged the traders to be one another’s keeper by reporting people who sell fake and expired products and appealed to them to collaborate with the FDA to flush out the miscreants.
“Consumers should as much as possible avoid buying canned food of any kind that is rusted because the content are mostly already contaminated. People try to take advantage of others during this period by selling contaminated food products at cheaper prices to consumers, and therefore we should all be very careful on what we buy,” he cautioned consumers.
“Germs multiplied quickly in meats,so consumers who always visits market should let buying of meat be the last thing to buy,and should keep it in refrigerator or freezer when they are not ready to used it” he stated.
Source: ahomkafm
