The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has reassured the public that Ghana’s food safety systems and import controls are robust enough to prevent beans preserved with cement or other unauthorised substances from entering the country. This statement follows a recent caution issued by the FDA after a viral social media video suggested the use of cement in bean preservation.
Speaking on Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, February 17, Roderick Daddey Adjei, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the FDA’s Food Division, acknowledged public concerns that such beans could be imported if the practice occurs elsewhere. He emphasised, however, that Ghana’s border checks and supply chain safeguards make it highly unlikely for unregistered or unsafe food products to be imported and sold. Adjei further highlighted Section 97 of the Public Health Act, which explicitly prohibits the importation, distribution, or sale of food items that have not been duly registered.
“When you have food coming into the country it goes through the borders. We have FDA officers for example, at Tema to look at such foods that come in and they are accompanied by phytosanitary certificates. It is also inspected by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services. It must also be registered by the FDA before it comes into the country and then to the warehouse before it finds its way into the market,” he said.
He added that the FDA will remain vigilant and monitor any suspicious signs, including unusual colouration in food items. In a press release issued on February 16, 2026, the FDA said the video, showing beans being preserved with a white powdery substance believed to be cement, does not reflect approved agricultural or food preservation practices in Ghana.
The Authority also noted that the method shown in the footage is not recognised or endorsed by the Plant Protection and Regulation Services Directorate (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Following a review of the video, the FDA added that the language spoken in the footage is not Ghanaian.
Source: Juliana Odame Asare
