The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has directed Unni Associates Company Limited to withdraw its Arcan Bitters product from the Ghanaian market within 14 days, after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of undeclared Sildenafil Citrate in the alcoholic beverage.
The FDA has also shut down the company’s manufacturing facility at Parkoso in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region. In a statement issued on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, the Authority explained that Arcan Bitters, which contains 35 percent alcohol by volume, had been adulterated with Sildenafil Citrate—a prescription‑only medicine used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension.
The FDA stressed that Arcan Bitters is registered as a food product and must not contain any drug substance. “The presence of Sildenafil Citrate in a food product poses serious health and safety risks to the public,” the Authority warned, noting that the drug can dangerously interact with other medications, cause sudden drops in blood pressure, and potentially lead to stroke or heart attack. Long‑term complications such as loss of vision and hearing were also cited as risks.
The FDA therefore strongly advised the public to refrain from purchasing or consuming Arcan Bitters. It has also directed retailers and distributors to immediately comply with the recall directive and report anyone found offering the product for sale to the nearest FDA office.
The Authority said it would supervise the safe disposal of all recalled products. The FDA warned Unni Associates Company Limited that failure to comply with the directive could result in further regulatory sanctions, including criminal prosecution.
The Authority said the adulteration of food products was an offence under Section 100(3) of the Public Health Act, 2012 (Act 851), which prohibits the manufacture, advertisement or sale of adulterated products or products that do not conform to prescribed standards.
It added that it was also an offence to manufacture, label, package, sell or advertise a food product in a manner that was false, misleading or deceptive regarding its character, nature, value, additives, quality, substance or composition. The FDA said Arcan Bitters appeared to have violated these requirements through the presence of the undeclared drug substance. It urged the public to report any activities that could compromise public health and safety to the Authority.
